A Mission to Remember
by Alwayssg1
Summary: Every S/J fic writer is honor bound to write one, so here's mine. It's a Sam and Jack lost on a planet fic. There will be angst. There will be UST. There will be adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**Every S/J fic writer has to do it at least once, right? Here's my Sam and Jack lost on a planet fic. Hope you enjoy it, and I really hope I can make it original enough to be something fresh. We'll see. This starts with the mission immediately following "Shades of Grey", so it's late season 3. Expect it go very AU from there. Oh, and our heroes aren't exactly on the best terms to be stranded together. Expect some angst. Sadly, I still don't own these characters or my own personal stargate.**

"Jack, Teal'c's been hit. I'm not sure how much longer we can hold the gate. They just keep coming," Daniel yelled into the radio. "How far out are you?"

"Too far, Daniel, too far. Take Teal'c through the gate. There's no way Carter and I will make it though these jaffa. We'll find cover," Jack ordered as he glanced over at his 2IC. This was not good. SG1 hadn't exactly had it easy lately, and Jack really didn't relish the idea of being alone with Carter at the moment. It was obvious he wasn't her favorite person right now. She was being her usual professional self, but maybe that was the problem. Carter was being extra professional. He'd hurt her when she came to speak to him about his sudden "retirement". While she said they were fine and his apology wasn't necessary, Jack was pretty sure he had damaged their friendship. Yep, it was going to be a long night. "Carter, we have to fall back and wait for reinforcements. Get to the tree line. I'll cover you."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied as she quickly complied with his order. Soon they were weaving in and out of heavy brush trying to put as much distance between themselves and the stargate as humanly possible. They kept moving until Jack was completely sure they'd lost any jaffa who might be following. "Sir, what's the plan?"

"We'll stay our of sight until we either hear the Calvary or the jaffa give up and leave the planet, Carter. I think we are pretty safe here, but we need shelter before night falls."

Sam nodded, "yes, sir. Maybe there's a cave in those bluffs. It can't be more than four clicks from our position, sir."

Jack cringed. He was used to Carter's repetitive use of the word sir, but this was getting ridiculous. Yep, she was still mad. This was going to be a really long night. "Lead the way, Carter. I've got your six."

Sure enough, there was a small cave and it looked like a good defensible position. Jack and Sam opted not to start a fire. It was warm, so they wouldn't freeze. They didn't want to take any unnecessary risks anyway, and, honestly, they were physically exhausted. With darkness descending, they sat in silence eating their MREs. Jack took a moment to really look at Sam. She looked a little thin to him and maybe a little pale, too. He wondered if Janet had noticed then he chastised himself for not seeing it sooner. He was her commanding officer. She was his responsibility. He should have realized she wasn't feeling well. Knowing she'd be offended if he mentioned his observation, Jack kept his opinion to himself. "Carter, I'm taking first watch. I'll wake you in a few hours. Get some sleep."

"Yes, sir," Sam responded before unrolling her bed roll and lying down.

Jack watched her silently. He really wanted to make things right, but he honestly didn't know what to say. He had taken things a little too far, and fixing this thing between them seemed impossible. Maybe it was for the best. As much as he enjoyed their friendship, he was her commanding officer. They shouldn't be friends. They shouldn't be anything more than what the Air Force regulations required. He shouldn't have dreamed of her smile when he was stranded on Edora. He shouldn't have longed to hear her voice more than he longed to hear any other as he worked to help the villagers rebuild their homes. He definitely shouldn't have imagined he was holding her as he held Lara in his arms. And he really shouldn't have so desperately wanted to kiss her senseless when she came to talk him out of retiring. That was wrong. He needed to take his cue from Carter. She was right. Professional was better. Had he been more professional, he'd have noticed she wasn't feeling well and left her at the SGC. She'd be safe right now.

Morning came too early, but they'd both managed to get a little rest. "The radio's been silent. I'd have expected to hear from the SGC by now," Jack remarked as he finished his breakfast bar.

"Me, too, sir," Sam agreed. "Should we see if the gate is clear?"

"Let's wait until later in the day then we'll do a little surveillance. It is a bit odd that the jaffa haven't come looking for us, isn't it?" Sam merely nodded, taking another bite of her bar. "Something just seems off about this whole situation," Jack continued. "We haven't run across anyone but that battalion of jaffa. Why were they here? No village to terrorize, nothing of any value," he added, "why jaffa?"

"I'm not sure, sir. It's almost like they knew we were coming, but that's impossible, right?"

Jack nodded. He certainly hoped it was impossible, but it did feel a little like an ambush. Something was definitely not right about their situation.

They waited until after noon to hike back to the stargate. Jack kept his eyes peeled for jaffa, but they found none. It was puzzling. He knew the jaffa knew they were still on the planet. They'd had to shoot three as they fled, so why weren't they looking for them? And, where were the reinforcements Jack assumed Hammond would send? The closer he and Sam got to the gate, the more uneasy Jack felt. What was going on?

Sam was leading the way. He knew she saw the problem before he did. The MALP was exactly where they'd left it, but the stargate was gone. Stranded again, and this time, his best hope of getting home was standing right beside him.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam just gaped at the sight in front of her. How could the stargate be gone? She finally shook herself out of shock and moved to the MALP. "Carter, how is this even possible?" Jack asked pointing his p90 in the direction of the missing gate.

"I don't know, sir. The stargate weighs just over 64,000 pounds. I'm trying to access the MALP's recording. The camera may have picked up something that can give us an idea what we are dealing with here. Sir, this shouldn't even be possible."

"Yeah, I got that, Carter. See what you can find out then we need to make a plan."

"Yes, sir." Within a few minutes, Sam and Jack were able to watch the recording. The jaffa had left the planet through the stargate then a few minutes later, the gate disappeared into thin air. "Sir, if Anubis has the technology to beam a stargate off of a planet, we aren't the only ones in big trouble."

"And, we have no way to warn Earth," Jack finished. "Do you need anything else from the MALP?" Sam shook her head. "Well then choose a direction."

"Sir?"

"Choose a direction, Carter. We can't stay here. We've got three days rations. Teal'c had the tent, so we have no shelter. Pick a direction."

The severity of their situation was not lost on Sam. They'd traveled several clicks in every direction exploring the planet before deciding the mission was a bust and returning to the gate. Of course, they were met by the platoon of jaffa, and now it looked like they'd be staying indefinitely. If they were going to encounter villagers, they usually met them within a few miles of the stargate. This was very bad. Sam swallowed. It was at least remotely possible she and the colonel were quite literally the last man and woman on this planet. Talk about irony. Sam had realized she might care a little too much for her commanding officer when he was stuck on Edora. She worked so hard to get him home. When she finally went to rescue him, he'd fallen for Laira and didn't want to leave her. Now, her poor colonel was stranded again and he wasn't even with the woman he loved.

"Carter, I said pick a direction," Jack said firmly.

"Yes, sir. We could see what's beyond the bluffs. It's getting a little late to look for a new shelter for tonight. Maybe we should camp in the cave again and see what's further out tomorrow. I could leave an encrypted message on the MALP just in case the gate is returned and they send a rescue party, sir."

"Good, Carter. Do that and let's go. I don't like the looks of those clouds. A storm is coming. We need to get back to our shelter."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied before hurriedly leaving the message. They walked in uneasy silence for awhile. Sam was busy doing the calculations in her head. Once she was comfortable that her answers were correct, she shared them with Jack "Colonel, We're a long way from home. Even if the SGC could get assistance from the Tok'ra, it would take eighteen months to travel here by ship. Of course, Thor could make the trip much faster, but his visits are considerably less reliable, sir."

"Got it, Carter. Barring Thor deciding he needs our help, we are going to be here awhile."

"Sir, there's also the possibility they think we're already dead. Help may not come."

"Oh, Carter, I have a hunch they'll get here eventually. You are the resident expert on the stargate and the daughter of our only Tok'ra ambassador. They aren't going to leave you behind. Don't give up on them."

Sam couldn't explain the sudden anger welling up inside her, and there was no stopping the outburst. "It didn't take much for you to give up on us, sir," she said spitting the word sir out with more distaste than she intended. Jack stopped walking. Sam panicked at the words that had just came out of her mouth. "I'm sorry, sir. I was out of line."

Jack simply took his pack off his back and looked at her. "So, I guess we're going to do this now, aren't we?"

"Sir?" Sam asked.

"I think I finally get it. I've been walking around on eggshells trying to get you to forgive me for what I said at my house, but that's not what you were angry about after all. You're mad because I started a life on Edora-because I didn't believe anyone was coming for me."

"Sir, I was out of li-"

"No, Carter. No backtracking, no playing the good soldier. Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me. You'll feel better and we can move on. If we are going to be stuck here alone for God knows how long, you need to let Edora go. I mean it, Sam. Hit-"

Jack didn't get to finish his sentence. Sam hit him square in the jaw. She immediately regretted it. "Sir, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me," she apologized.

"Apology unnecessary, Carter. You were following orders. I expected to have to repeat said orders a few more times before you actually hit me, but nice right hook, Carter," Jack said as he rubbed his jaw. "I gave up because I'm a broken-down soldier. We're a dime a dozen, Sam."

"No, you aren't," Sam disagreed.

"I am, but I should have had more faith in my team. I should have known you'd find a way, Carter. Feel better or do you need to hit me again?"

Sam smiled. "No, thank you, sir. I think once was enough."

"Good. My jaw kind of smarts. Let's get to the cave. It's starting to sprinkle."

There was a little less palpable tension as they sat down to eat their rations. They watched the rain pour down and discussed the SGC. Sam was concerned about Teal'c, but Jack assured her his symbiote probably already had him on the mend. They discussed the small wild life they'd seen as they hiked. Jack hoped it would taste like chicken. Sam was grateful they had found their comradery again. He couldn't know how she felt about him, but she could have his friendship again. That was enough. It was for the best. She only hoped help would indeed be coming.

 **SGC**

"Walter, have you managed to get a lock yet?" Hammond growled as he entered the control room.

"No, sir. We are attempting once each hour as you ordered, sir. It will not engage."

Hammond turned his attention to Dr. Lee. "I need a solution. Get your team on it. Top priority."

"Yes, sir."

Daniel walked into the control room. "General, I need to be on the team that goes through."

"You will, son. Just as soon as that wormhole engages, you will be joining SG3 on the rescue mission." In a softer voice, he continued, "Dr. Jackson, Teal'c is stable. There's nothing you can do at the moment. Go and get some rest. I'll send someone to wake you as soon as we get the gate to lock."

"I'm fine, general."

"It wasn't a request. We don't know what we'll find on the other side of that gate. You need to rest so you aren't a liability. Do I make myself clear?"

Daniel nodded and made his way to his quarters, but sleep did not come easy.

 **The Planet**

Jack and Sam got an early start the next morning. Thankfully the rain had stopped, but the ground was muddy and hiking in the mud was never fun. Jack only hoped there was a friendly village on the other side of those bluffs. Sam still looked a little off to him. He didn't really want to live off the land for the better part of the next two years constantly worrying about her health. Eventually, he was going to have to bring up his concerns, but she was finally actually speaking to him again. He didn't want to upset her or make her think he didn't have faith in her. He'd really missed her.

"Sir, I'm not sure we should stop for lunch," Sam said as it got close to lunchtime. "We need to conserve our resources."

"Carter, you need to eat. You've got to keep your strength up," Jack argued.

"But, if we don't find something soon, we're going to run out of supplies," Sam replied and Jack was grateful she didn't add the honorific sir at the end of her sentence.

"Look, Carter, I wasn't going to mention it, but I'm a little concerned. You look a little thin and pale."

Sam tried to laugh it off. "Gee, thanks, sir. Pretty sure I'll be a lobster by nightfall though. That'll handle the pale."

"I'm serious, Sam. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

Sam looked down then finally answered, "I'm a little underweight. Janet's been monitoring me. She has me on iron pills and a good multivitamin."

"And, how many of those do you have with you?"

"Not enough, sir."

"Why wasn't I notified you were sick, Sam?"

"Hammond knew about the anemia. I guess I overdid it while you were gone. I think it might be my fault we were assigned this mission. It was supposed to be easy. I think Hammond was trying to give us a break," Sam said softly. "I'm sure he didn't expect a stolen stargate," she added.

"Sam, you should never have worked yourself so hard. I'm not worth it."

"You're my commanding officer, sir. You've taught me many things, but there's one thing that stands out above the others. Nobody gets left behind. I'd do it again."

Jack didn't know what to say. It was his fault she was rundown, and he had to find a way to take care of her. This just kept getting better and better.


	3. Chapter 3

By late afternoon, Jack and Sam were exhausted. They still hadn't seen any sign of civilization and it was time to find a good place to stop for the night. "Carter, do you hear that?"

"Yes, sir. It sounds like rushing water." Sam smiled. "We need drinking water and I could really use a bath."

"And, water could mean fish, Carter. Looks like I'll be taking you fishing after all," Jack smirked.

They walked quickly towards the sound of the water. Soon, they were on the banks of a river. Sam smiled. This was the break they needed. "Sir, if there are people in the area, there's a really good chance they settled near the water. If we stay with the river, we might find civilization."

Jack nodded. "Regardless, our chances of survival just went up drastically. Why don't you clean up a bit while I find something we can use as a fishing pole. Looks like it'll be a nice night, we can sleep under the stars."

Sam eased into the water. She chided herself a bit at the sudden burst of excitement she felt. "You're still stranded," she quietly reminded herself, but she was stranded with Jack, no the colonel, she corrected. She wasn't on the other side of the gate wondering if he was alive or dead. This was so much better than Edora. As soon as Edora came to mind, she thought of Laira again. The colonel probably didn't consider this better than being stranded with the woman he cared about, maybe even loved. Suddenly, some of her excitement faded. If they really were stuck here for as long as she expected, she was going to have to get a grip on this little crush. He was her CO. Period. End of story.

"Carter, you decent? Hot and tired colonel approaching with his eyes closed."

Sam smiled. "It's safe to open your eyes sir. I'm decent." Knowing he'd likely return soon, Sam had worn her tank top and a pair of sleep shorts she kept in her pack. "The water is nice and cool."

Jack smiled. "Well, since we don't have the luxury of separate facilities and this mud is drying in places mud should never be, do you mind of I join you?"

Sam's heart started to race a little and she fought to keep her breathing under control. She hoped her voice didn't creak much when she said, "of course, sir. Come on in. I was just finishing up. I'll give you some privacy."

"Thanks, Carter. We'll eat MREs tonight, but in the morning, we fish. I think we should take tomorrow off and rest. We can do some fishing, maybe a little hunting, and decide what to do next."

"Yes, sir. Sounds like a good plan," Sam agreed, trying desperately not to stare at the colonel's now bare chest. Oh, man, how was she going to survive. "I think I'll go get out the MREs," she said as she made a quick get away.

 **SGC**

"Still no word from the Tok'ra?" Daniel asked as he walked into the briefing room.

"No, Dr. Jackson, and Dr. Lee and his team have come up with a few theories. Have a seat," Hammond relied. "Dr. Lee, it's all yours."

"Yes, well, there are a few possible scenarios. The first, and most likely, is that the jaffa managed to disable the gate somehow. We've encountered situations in the past where the DHD was disabled by a staff blast, but that would only stop Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter from dialing out. We would still be able to dial in," Dr. Lee looked at Teal'c, "I don't suppose you know of a way they could have successfully disabled the gate."

"I do not," Teal'c said. "If this is the case, how can we fix the gate?"

"We can't," Dr. Lee answered, "but Major Carter might be able to find a solution given time and if she can find the right supplies."

"And, your other theory, Dr. Lee?" Hammond asked.

"Well, general, if the issue is not with the gate itself then the only possible explanation," Lee paused, "is that the gate is gone. It's improbable," he quickly added, "but you did ask for all the possible explanations."

"I also asked for a solution," Hammond frowned, "I take it, there isn't anything we can do from here. Is that correct, Dr. Lee?"

"Yes, sir," Dr. Lee acknowledged.

"Thank you, Dr. Lee. Well, it would appear I have no choice but to report Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter MIA."

"General, we can't just give up on them. We have to do something," Daniel begged.

"I agree, Dr. Jackson. We will continue in our attempts to contact our allies. We need a ship capable of flying to the planet."

"But, sir, it's so far. It will take a long time to even get to the planet. They are in-"

"Dr. Jackson," Hammond interrupted, "do you personally have a ship?"

"No, sir."

"Then there is absolutely nothing you can do to speed this along. You are all dismissed."

 **The Planet**

Jack took first watch again. He watched Sam sleep. Finding water improved their chances and their spirits. If all went according to plan, they'd be able to catch some fish and live off the land when supplies ran out. He found himself really looking forward to taking Sam fishing. He had no doubt she was going to love it and he loved it when she smiled.

He loved a lot of things about his 2IC. Sure, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on but she was also brilliant and funny and really, really his type. Jack groaned slightly. He wanted her. He wanted his 2IC, and he didn't know how to turn off his feelings now that she was quite literally always beside him. How was he supposed to be the leader and friend she needed when all he could do was think about how completely kissable she looked? He needed to get a grip on these feelings or they weren't going to make it.

Morning came early. Jack had asked Sam to wake him at sunrise so they could fish while the fish were still biting. Sam handed Jack a cup of coffee. "This the last of the coffee. We should probably savor it, sir," she said with a hint of a grin.

"I'm just glad I'm here with you and not Daniel. Can you imagine how panicked he would be over the idea of no more coffee?"

Sam laughed. "Well, sir, you'll still have to deal with my caffeine withdraws. You might eat those words in a day or two."

"We'll see, Carter, we'll see. I'm still glad I'm stuck with you instead of Daniel."

"Thank you, sir."

"Yeah, Carter, about the sir thing, if we are going to have to depend on each other to survive, I can't be sir. We need to be partners. It's Jack, Carter, Jack."

"Sir, um, Jack, it might be easier for me to remember if you called me Sam."

"I can do that, Sam. Now, I believe fishing is on the agenda. I saw something that looks like crappie when we were cleaning up yesterday, and I can really cook good crappie. We will be eating good tonight."

Sam smiled. Jack loved that smile. Soon, they had their make-shift poles in the water. They caught several fish, well, Sam caught several. Jack only caught a small one. "This is fun, si-Jack."

"Of course, it's fun. You're a natural, Sam. We'll add fishing to the list of things Samantha Carter excels at, but when we talk about this back home, let's not mention my little fish. See, the key to being a real fisherman is to exaggerate a bit. See this little guy?" Sam nodded, "when I tell this story, he's going to be this big." Jack extended his arms out as far as he could reach, and Sam giggled.

"You're secret's safe with me. I'm sure you'll catch a big one next time."

"Yeah, We'll see. Are you ready to learn to gut a fish?"

Sam crinkled her nose. "Would it matter if I said no?"

"Not a bit Sam. You catch em, you gut em."

They'd just started gutting the first fish when Jack heard a noise. He looked at Sam and she nodded. They pulled their p90s into position and aimed in the direction of the noise.

"Come back Melora. We'll be in trouble," a small voice cried.

Jack and Sam lowered their weapons just on time to see a girl of about ten and a boy of maybe six or seven rushing through the brush.


	4. Chapter 4

The girl stopped suddenly when she saw Jack and Sam. The boy, who was still chasing her, didn't realize she'd stopped and crashed into her. Jack saw the panic in the boy's eyes when he realized they were not alone. "Hello," Jack said with a smile. Deciding it might be best to go with an informal greeting, he added, "I'm Jack and this is Sam. What are your names?"

The boy still sat on the ground where he had fallen, but the girl answered. "My name is Melora. This is my brother Jothan."

Jothan looked up at his sister, "Melora, we aren't supposed to talk to strangers," he whispered. "Father will be mad."

Melora scolded her brother. "Father also says we should help people in need. Look at them, Jothan. They aren't from around her and she doesn't even have proper clothes. They could be in trouble."

"You're sister is right about that," Jack said as he offered his hand to the boy. "We've traveled a very long way. Can you take us to your father?"

The boy took Jack's hand and stood up. He dusted the dirt off his pants and looked at his sister. "I don't know," he said softly.

"Well, I do," Melora said with a smile. "We will take you to father. He will help you."

Jack and Sam grabbed their packs and followed the children. "Well, at least we know there are people here," Jack said with a smile. "Thoughts, Sam?"

"Judging by their clothing and demeanor, I'm guessing agricultural community. I just hope they are friendlies, sir."

"Jack, not sir. Follow my lead, Sam. We need to assess the threat level before revealing how we got here."

"Always," Sam said with a smile.

Soon, they arrived at a small farm. Melora and Jothan ran ahead to get their father. A man about Jack's age came out from the barn. He looked Jack and Sam over from head to toe then turned to his children. "Finish feeding the animals while I speak with our guests. Don't come into the house until I call for you." He turned to Jack and Sam, "I am Traven, and you are obviously not from around here."

"No, we are most definitely not from the area. This is Sam, and I'm Jack."

"Let's go into the house. I don't want the children to hear our conversation," Traven said with a frown.

Jack and Sam exchanged glances. Something was definitely off, but they needed facts. Jack had casually left off their ranks and last names in his introduction because he wasn't sure how much information he wanted to give this stranger. Once they were settled inside, Traven offered them a stew that was heating on the stove. "You look like you could use a meal, strangers. I'm not the best cook. My wife was very skilled. She could turn any meal into a masterpiece. We lost her last year."

"I'm sorry," Sam replied.

"Thank you," Traven said earnestly. "She was an exceptional woman. She was a fiery woman, passionate about helping others. Melora is just like her mother. I fear it will put her in danger. Does your presence put my children in danger?"

"No," Jack replied firmly. "Absolutely not. We are just travelers who have found ourselves temporarily stranded a little too far from home."

Traven nodded. "I was once in a similar position. I could not return to my home even if I had wanted to go back. I found myself on this very farm. The man who would become my father-in-law helped me. Tell me why you cannot return, and be honest. I'll decide whether or not you are worthy of my help."

Jack and Sam exchanged a meaningful glance. Sam nodded and Jack looked Traven in the eye. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill. This is Major Samantha Carter. We are part of a team, but we were separated from our teammates when we were ambushed by enemy combatants. Our teammates made it home, but we are stranded."

Traven nodded and gave a knowing look. "And, am I correct to assume you came through the great circle?"

"We call it a stargate, but yes," Jack admitted.

"Thank you for your honesty. Are the enemies still chasing you?"

"No," Jack said firmly. "They returned through the stargate."

"Yet, you did not return home. Why?"

Jack looked at Sam and nodded then she answered, "when we attempted to go home, the stargate was gone. We think Anubis, our enemy, must have managed to beam the gate onto his ship. Without it, we are stranded."

"Now, I must admit, I didn't expect that answer," Traven said, shaking his head, "but I know the gods can perform many marvels."

"Not gods," Jack said firmly. "They aren't gods."

"Well, whatever they are, the people of this world know nothing of them. I'd appreciated it if you would keep it that way. I came through the great ring many years ago by accident. I was very young. When my friends and I were fiddling with the stone ring in hopes of making it impossible for the our god to return, it came to life. We knew we had somehow activated it. Being a young man, I was curious. I went to examine it closer and I tripped. I came out on this planet with no way to return. When I realized the gods did not know about this place, I was grateful for my clumsiness. I had no family at home. Here, I have made a life," Traven paused, "I will help you do the same, but you must follow my lead. The people of the village can never know what is out there. They have enough problems without the added threat."

"Thank you," Jack said earnestly. "We appreciate any help you can give."

"We will tell people you are my old friend from Canter. It's a village on this planet, but it's many days' journey. My father-in-law chose it for that reason." Looking at Sam, "it would be best if we tell people she is your wife. She is a very beautiful woman. The lord who rules this village will not take her if she is married, but if she is single, he will stop at nothing to possess her. He's the one we will have to appeal to in order to get you residency. If he does not approve it, you will be forced to leave."

"And, how do we go about getting him to let us stay?" Sam asked.

"If you can prove you have skills that would benefit him then you would be accepted."

"Well, Sam happens to be a brilliant scientist. I'm sure she can improve the quality of life around here."

Traven shook his head. "She's a woman. There are rules concerning what a woman can do and what she cannot. You do not want to face the wrath of Lord Beyer or the council."

"Why don't you fill us in on village life a little more then I can figure out a way we can contribute," Sam said with a frown. She turned to Jack, "you'll have to present the idea to Lord Beyer yourself, but I can help from behind the scenes."

"You shouldn't have to hide your brilliance, Sam."

"We need a place to live until help arrives. I'll survive."

The three discussed the village for awhile, and Sam realized they had no irrigation system. "I think this is our in, Jack. It would be easy enough to put together and it would certainly increase productivity."

Traven nodded. "Lord Beyer would be pleased. It would also protect the people. If we are not productive enough, Lord Beyer takes our farms and gives them to others."

"That's terrible," Sam said with a frown.

"Yet, it's better than the world I came from," Traven said with a nod. "I will tell the children the same story we tell the village. They know nothing of the great ring. Let me fetch them then I'll set you up in the barn loft tonight. It has a mattress and blankets. You will be fairly comfortable. Tomorrow, we will get you to Lord Beyer. If he agrees to your proposal, he will likely assign you a house in the village."

"Thank you, Traven," Jack said with a nod. He was grateful when he and Sam were finally alone in the loft. "Thoughts?"

"Traven and his children are good people. This Beyer sounds awful, but he's not goa'uld awful. They are definitely oppressed. It sounds like they have a feudal system. Are we going to try to help them?"

"I don't think we are in much position to help anyone at the moment," Jack said with a sigh, "but we can make things better for them with irrigation right? That's something."

"Yes, sir," Sam said absentmindedly.

"Really going to have to drop the sirs, Sam. We need Beyer to think we are married."

"Right, this is a little awkward."

"Only if we let it be awkward, Sam. We can do this. It's the best way to keep you safe and us together until we are rescued. We'll be fine. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. We should get some sleep."

"You're right," Sam agreed. "We can do this."

The bed was smaller than a full size mattress, but Jack and Sam managed to fit on it. They were a little closer than Jack thought was exactly safe, especially with his mind reeling over the reality that they were going to have to pretend to be married for possibly the next few years. Yes, this was going to be tough, but he needed Sam to be comfortable and well-fed. She was in no condition to rough it. They could do this. He just needed to get his feelings in check.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam woke with a creak in her neck the next morning. She must have physically tensed her body all night in her effort to keep some distance between herself and Jack. Sharing a bed with the colonel was not exactly on her mission prep list. Of course, pretending to be his wife wasn't exactly on the list either.

Jack was already in the house with Traven, so she did have a moment of privacy to get her thoughts together. Today, they needed to convince Lord Beyer they could contribute to the community. If they failed then she supposed they'd have to walk the several days journey to the next village, but ideally they needed to stay as close to the stargate, or where the stargate was supposed to be, as possible. Traven seemed pretty certain their irrigation plan would please Beyer, but he also seemed certain a single Sam would create problems. Of course, being the colonel's make-believe wife created it's own problems for Sam. How was she supposed to get over this silly infatuation with Jack while living with him as husband and wife? "Thor, hurry up and have a crisis already," she whispered softly. They needed to be rescued as soon as possible.

She made it into the house as Jack, Traven, and the children were sitting down to breakfast. "Please join us, Sam," Traven said with a smile. "I've laid out one of my wife's dresses for you to wear today. I think it will fit you nicely."

"Thank you, Traven. We appreciate everything you are doing to help us," Sam said with a smile.

"I'm doing no more than was done for me. Think nothing of it. If Lord Beyer accepts your proposal, I stand to benefit greatly. My children won't have to spend so much of their days carrying water to the fields. They'll be able to return to their studies, and we won't lose our home. Trust me when I say I'm very grateful you are here."

"Sam's written up the proposal, Traven. She's even drawn some diagrams to give Beyer a better idea of what we can do for him. I think we are as ready as we can be for this meeting," Jack said with a smile.

"Good, we'll go this morning," Traven said with a smile. "If all goes well, you'll be settled in a house by tonight," he paused. "You should probably tell Lord Beyer you haven't been married long. According to our law, married couples have one year to produce an off-spring. If there is no infant or the wife is not expecting, the marriage can be challenged. It's rare, but Sam is a very desirable woman. You do not want Lord Beyer challenging your claim. He already has six wives, but he has not taken a new one in almost a year. If he realizes Sam is not only beautiful but intelligent, she is in danger."

Sam looked at Jack. He was staring back at her. This was definitely not good. They were likely going to be here much longer than a year. Jack cleared his throat. "Thanks for the warning, Traven. Newlyweds it is," Jack said with a frown.

Sam no longer felt much like eating. Instead, she went to dress in the plain blue dress Traven had provided. She put the apron around her waist and tied the white bonnet on her head. Just once, couldn't they land on a planet where women were treated with equal respect? And, how were they supposed to explain the lack of baby? This just kept getting better and better.

Soon enough, the trio were in the middle of the walled city. Sam had expected a small village similar to those they'd run across in the past. Life was much different inside the city walls. Traven's farm had seemed so secluded and a bit broken down, but the city was bustling. The buildings were well-maintained and the people were busily going about their business. There was an obvious difference between classes that made Sam a little ill. Bare-footed children with worn clothing begged on the street corners, but most people completely ignored them.

Traven caught Sam looking at a group of children. "That's what happens to children when their parents are deemed unproductive. The children are allowed to live inside of the walls and beg. Their parents are forbidden to enter the city. Most do not survive long without the comforts Lord Beyer can provide, so these children are likely orphans. I fear this future for Melora and Jothan. I can only hope your presence helps me keep my farm. Selfishly, I am glad I get to introduce you as old friends. If you are successful, my family will benefit from the protection that will be granted to you." Sam merely nodded. "We are here. Let's see if we can get an audience."

 **SGC**

Daniel sighed. There was still no word from their allies, but things had gotten a little crazy at the SGC. SG7 was late. They'd been on a routine repeat visit to P3X-567. Their first and only check in had been routine, but they missed their next check in and, again, the SGC could not get a lock on the gate. What was going on with the gate system? If Sam were here, she might be able to figure things out. Dr. Lee just kept scratching his head. This was getting ridiculous.

 **The City**

Traven made the introductions to Lord Beyer. "Lord Beyer, I present my dear friend Jack of Cantor. We grew up together and he and his new bride Samantha have just arrived. Jack is a tinkerer. He has many ideas to modernize our great city. I truly believe you will be interested in his plans."

Lord Beyer looked Jack and Sam over carefully then returned to Traven. "We shall see, Traven. I will speak to them. I suggest you return to your work. If your crops are as unimpressive as last year, you know there will be consequences."

"Yes, my lord, thank you for your time and patience."

"My patience was granted because you lost your wife mid-season, Traven. Don't expect it again. Now, you are dismissed." Lord Beyer turned his attention to Jack. "What do you propose?"

Jack quickly explained the plan for irrigation and how it would increase productivity of the fields then he informed Lord Beyer that after they completed the projects, he could provide running water directly to the houses in the city. Beyer asked several questions, and Sam had to bite her tongue to keep from answering for Jack. She was more than a little impressed with the way Jack responded. He had definitely been listening when she prepped him for this meeting.

"Your proposal is very interesting. If you are successful, I will grant you a place of honor in my city."

"Thank you, Lord Beyer," Jack said with a nod.

"Of course, if you fail, you will find yourself under my wrath. I'll have spent a tremendous amount of resources on this project. I will require compensation," Beyer said leering at Sam.

Sam had a feeling she knew exactly what kind of compensation he was referring to and she felt a knot form in her stomach. Jack either didn't notice Beyer's tone or pretended not to notice, because he simply nodded and replied, "Yes, Lord Beyer. I promise you will not be disappointed."

"Very well. I will have my assistant set you up in accommodations a few blocks away. He will provide you with the necessary materials and a team of ten men. You may begin as soon as the supplies arrive."

Jack nodded, "Thank you. May I begin with Traven's farm. It's very close to the river. It would be easy to start there and work my way to the city."

"As you wish," Traven agreed then he turned to Sam, "you are most welcome to spend time with my wives once you have settled into your new home. With your husband working such long hours, I would hate for his new bride to be lonely."

"Thank you for the offer, Lord Beyer," Jack quickly responded, "but my wife usually accompanies me on the job. We just can't stand to be apart. You know how it is, I'm sure, newly wedded bliss."

"Yes, of course. Granted, the offer stands if your wife chooses to accept it. How long have you been married again?"

"Two weeks," Jack said with a smile, "two glorious weeks."

"Well, congratulations on your nuptials. May you be blessed with many sons. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll make arrangements. Someone will be with you shortly."

When he left the room, Sam let out the breath she'd been holding. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it, Sam. I'm not leaving you in this city for hours on end without me. Besides, I'll need that brilliant brain of yours to make this work."

True to his word, Beyer sent his assistant and soon Jack and Sam were in a small house. "Lord Beyer wished for me to tell you this house is only temporary. If you are successful, he will provide much larger accommodations," the man informed them. "My name is Roth. If you have any problems, ask for me. I'm in charge of city housing. I will send word when the other things you require are ready. You should be able to begin your work in three days time."

"Thank you, Roth. This is very generous," Jack assured him.

"Here are your vouchers. These are necessary to purchase food and other items. I think you will see that Lord Beyer more than provides for those who serve him well," Roth said as he handed Jack an envelope then he nodded and left them alone.

The house was small. The living area had a small couch and a coffee table. It was open to a small kitchen with a wood-burning stove, meant to also heat the house in the winter, a few cabinets and a bucket that Sam assumed was to wash dishes. Another two buckets hung on hooks beside the back door. Sam assumed they were for collecting water at one of the many shared wells inside the city. There was a small outhouse about twenty paces from the back door. They had to share it with three other families. The house also had a small bedroom and it was behind a doorway, but there was no door for privacy Sam quickly noted. The bed was only slightly larger than the one they'd shared the night before and there was a small table on each side of the bed. Hooks lined one wall. Sam assumed they were for their clothes. There were also lanterns hanging from the ceiling to light their little house at night. It was definitely going to be challenging living an extended period of time alone with the colonel in such cramped quarters.

"I think it might be safest to hide most of our gear in Traven's barn for now," Jack said with a frown. "I don't trust Beyer further than I can throw him. We need to be prepared to make a quick get away." Sam nodded. She agreed completely. She almost felt safer when it was just the two of them against the elements. Beyer was a very dangerous man. "We should go to the market and get supplies. He did throw in some clothing vouchers, so we should be able to fit in with the others fairly well."

"That's something," Sam said with a small smile then she added, "you do realize we won't be able to stay here until help arrives, right? He's going to challenge our marriage when this year is up. I can feel it."

"Yeah," Jack said softly. "We'll help with the things we said we'd do. Traven and his children won't lose their farm. And, when the time comes, we'll be ready to move on. Beyer isn't going to steal my 2IC," he said with a smile. "We can't give up or resident genius just because some alien notices she's beautiful."

Sam's heart fluttered. He had never actually called her beautiful before. She'd caught him looking, so she knew he found her at least a little attractive but hearing those words didn't exactly help her get over this crush. They needed off this planet fast.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few months were busy ones for Jack and Sam, but they were productive. Jack taught his team how to build the irrigation network, with Sam assisting from the sidelines, and they completed Traven's farm pretty quickly. When Lord Beyer saw the first completed project, he was so impressed he gave Jack three more teams of ten and they were quickly working their way through the other farms. It was hot, sweaty work with long hours, but Jack knew he was making a lasting difference on the quality of life for the people of Atenos.

Sam looked better to Jack as well. She was starting to put on a bit of the weight she had lost and her color was much better. True to his word, Jack took her to the job site with him daily. It nearly killed her not to get in the trenches and just do the work herself, but they had an image to maintain. She would carefully map out where the trenches would be most effective at night and explain the plan to Jack then he would lead the teams during the day. Jack hated taking credit for Sam's brilliance, but they couldn't risk Beyer realizing that Sam was not only beautiful but extremely intelligent.

They didn't see much of Traven and his children after completing their farm, but Traven was very excited to be able to send his children back to school. The little family had a real chance and Jack was glad he and Sam had a small part in getting them back on their feet.

Because Atenos had a five day work week similar to Earth's, Jack and Sam had ample time to rest up and even befriend their neighbors. They'd gotten especially close to the neighbors on their right, a young married couple expecting their first child. Byron worked on one of Jack's teams, and he was a smart guy who wasn't afraid of hard work. His wife Lena worked as one of Beyer's housekeepers. She was very fond of Sam and never missed an opportunity to have a cup of the Atenos' version of coffee with her. She was a bit of a talker, so Sam was able to learn quite a bit about the way Beyer did business.

As for living with Sam, it really hadn't been as awkward as Jack had feared. They hung a makeshift curtain over the doorway to their room to give each other the needed privacy for changing clothes, and they tried to maintain professionalism in their house as much as possible. Jack tried hard to keep his growing feelings for his 2IC in check as best he could, and he was fairly certain he'd gotten pretty good at hiding his desire to kiss her senseless.

Actually everything was going great until he injured his back at work. Byron and another one of his employees helped Sam get him home. It was the last day of their work week, so he had a few days to get better but it worried him. He wasn't sure how Beyer would react if he couldn't get back out there and do his job. He was pretty sure Sam was concerned, too. Their situation was still pretty tenuous.

"Jack, how are you doing back there?" Sam asked from behind the curtain. They had an unspoken agreement to always speak before entering the bedroom since Jack had accidentally walked in on Sam changing for bed several weeks earlier. That was a sight he wouldn't soon forget and it had done nothing to help him curb his desire for his make-believe wife. If anything, it had fueled his daydreams for weeks.

"Still here and still hurting," Jack replied shortly.

"Lena dropped off some medicine. It's an oil. Do you mind if I rub it on your back?" Sam asked as she stepped into the bedroom.

"No, I mean if you don't mind. I'll try anything at this point."

Sam lit the lantern and sat beside Jack on the bed. She carefully placed the jar of oil on the side table. "Do you need some help getting out of that shirt?"

"I think I can manage," Jack said as he attempted to raise his arms high enough to remove his tunic. "Ouch, that smarts."

Sam giggled a bit then helped Jack remove his shirt and turn over onto his belly. She started rubbing the oil on his back. "Where does it hurt?"

"Low back," Jack said into the pillow. As Sam's hands trailed lower down his back, Jack had to bite back the groan. "Carter, if you ever decide your future isn't in being a butt-kicking theoretical astrophysicist, you could have a real future as a masseuse."

Sam laughed again. "I'll keep that in mind, sir." She continued to work his back over for several minutes, and by the time she was finished, biting back the groans was no longer an option. Jack knew he should be embarrassed by the response his body was having to the touch of her hands, but he just couldn't bring himself to feel anything other than desire.

Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "Sam, you have to stop," his voice squeaked.

"I'm sorry, Jack. Am I hurting you?"

"No," Jack said firmly, "definitely not hurting."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir." I'll just go back in the other room and see if I can find something quick to fix for supper. As she rushed from the room, she again murmured an apology.

Jack sighed. "Well, that went well," he whispered to the empty room. "Now, she just thinks you're a dirty old man."

In reality, that was the furthest thing from Sam's mind as she walked back into their living area. She couldn't believe how lost she'd allowed herself to become as she rubbed her CO's back. They had been here way too long. This was becoming excruciatingly difficult. "He loves Laira," she whispered to herself. "He's your CO. Get a grip, Sam."

Sam decided it might be a good idea to get some fresh air before preparing supper, so she grabbed one of the water pails and walked to the well. She ran into Lena on her way.

"How's your husband?" Lena asked, concern evident on her face.

"He's still hurting, but hopefully the oil will make a difference."

"Do you need Byron to fetch your water?" Lena offered.

"That's okay, Lena. I've got it, but thank you."

Lena looked at Sam with concern. "Byron started fetching the water before we even knew for certain the I was with child. He didn't want to take any chances." She waited a moment before continuing. "If you think you could be with child, I promise Byron wouldn't mind helping you."

"I'm pretty sure I'm not expecting," Sam said with a smile. "I've got this."

Lena looked at her with concern. "Samantha, you and Jack have been married almost four months. I was expecting this little one after only two. Are you having trouble conceiving?"

"Sometimes it takes time, Lena," Sam replied, but she was suddenly very concerned about the direction this conversation was taking.

"I'm only asking because I'm your friend. I," Lena lowered her voice, "I overheard Lord Beyer enquiring about you to Roth a few days ago. He wanted to know if you were expecting yet, Sam. He even told Roth to begin looking for suitable candidates to offer to Jack as a second wife."

"Lena, you don't have to worry. I know Jack. He wouldn't accept another wife. He isn't like Lord Beyer."

"You don't understand, Sam. If you are not expecting by the end of your first year of marriage, he intends to take you as one of his concubine. He can do it, too. The law would allow for it. If he manages to convince Jack to marry another then he will look like a hero to the others for taking the barren wife and providing Jack with another. You're in danger." Lena paused again, "Samantha, Byron and I aren't the only ones who've noticed that you and Jack don't exactly act like a married couple. We've never seen you show affection in any way. You behave more like business partners than husband and wife. Is everything okay in your home?"

"Thank you for the warning, Lena, but I promise Jack won't accept another wife. We just aren't big on public displays of affection."

"Still, Sam, I have seen the way Beyer and the council treat the concubines. Please be careful. You can't afford to miscarry, and you need to be pregnant sooner rather than later."

"I'll be careful, Lena. Thanks for your concern. I better get the water and get back to Jack."

Sam couldn't decide whether she should warn Jack of Beyer's plan or not. She knew he wouldn't take the "gift" Beyer was planning to offer, but now they had proof he intended to challenge their marriage. This wasn't good. It would be so much easier if Jack felt for her the way he'd felt for Laira. A baby with Jack certainly wasn't unappealing, especially the making of the baby part.

With a heavy heart, Sam prepared their meal. They needed to get Jack better and decide exactly how long it was safe to stay in Atenos. Again, Sam found herself hoping Thor had a crisis. They needed to go home. They'd been here a hundred days exactly. Jack had told her that Laira said he should grieve Earth one hundred days then move on and accept his new life. Well, Sam had no intention of giving up on Earth. She needed to go back to her life and get over Jack O'Neill. Whatever physiological response he'd had to the massage was just that- a physiological response. His heart wouldn't ever be hers. It couldn't.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam stayed up later than usual mulling over what Lena had told her. Truthfully, she needed to stay away from Jack until she was completely sure he was asleep. Touching him had been just a little intense. Of course, she knew the oil would need to be reapplied in the morning. She also knew they needed to discuss Beyer's plan. That was going to be a fun conversation. "So, Jack, we either need to hurry up and leave town or I need to get pregnant. What's your preference, sir?" Obviously, leaving was the only right option. They still legally had about eight months. They could weather the winter and be gone long before their marriage could be contested, but Jack needed to be warned about the offer of a second wife so he could prepare a diplomatic response. Finally, a very exhausted Sam crawled in bed with Jack and went to sleep.

Sam felt Jack moving around pretty early. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she asked, "are you still hurting?"

"Can't seem to get comfortable," Jack grumbled.

"Roll over. I'll reapply the oil."

"You don't have to do that, Sam. Surely, if I move around a bit, it'll loosen up," he paused. "I know I made things uncomfortable yesterday. I didn't mean to, well, you know. I mean, Sam, you know I have tremendous respect for you."

"It's okay, Jack. Physiological response, nothing more. I get it," she replied softly as she started rubbing the oil into his back. "Think nothing of it."

"Yeah, I just don't want you thinking your CO is a dirty, old man."

Sam couldn't help the giggle that erupted. "You're not old, Jack. You're very much in your prime." She quietly applied the oil a bit more liberally and Jack didn't speak for a few minutes. It was hard not to get a little lost in the sensation of actually touching his back, and Sam found she didn't really want to try and keep her distance. This was so completely unfair. If she'd been a little faster getting him off of Edora, if she weren't his 2IC, if he felt for her even a little bit of what she was feeling for him, things could be so different. Of course, the word court martial came to mind as she continued that dangerous train of thought. "Court martials are bad," she gently reminded herself. It wasn't until afterward that she realized she'd said the words out loud.

Jack rolled to his back. "Court martials are very bad," Jack agreed looking into her eyes. His eyes were dark and his voice was a little husky. "I'm doing my best here, Sam, but these close quarters are making it tough."

Sam was startled. "I didn't mean to say court martial. I don't know where that came from, sir."

"I think I do. I think it's only natural for two people who have a lot of respect for one another who are put in a situation like ours to have certain feelings come to the surface, don't you?"

"I," Sam stopped. She didn't know how to finish that particular sentence without giving her emotions completely away. Instead she simply whispered, "Laira."

"Laira?" Jack asked. "Oh, I think I get it. You think I'm doing with you what I did with Laira. Sam, my feelings for her were deep gratitude. I didn't think I was ever going home. Maybe it was weakness, but I needed something to hold on to after losing Earth and the team and, well, you. I never would have gotten involved with her if I'd known I was going home." He attempted to sit up so he was facing her. "And, no matter how much I want you, and I do want you, I won't allow myself to get involved with you because I know we will make it home. Sam, I would never jeopardize your career over my inappropriate feelings for my 2IC. Your virtue is safe with me."

Sam couldn't help but smile. Jack felt something, too. Of course, he was right. Acting on those feelings would be a mistake, but she was grateful for his confession, really grateful. "I thought I was the only one feeling things," she said softly. "It's not new for me, well, it's not about our circumstances. I realized I was in trouble when you were on Edora."

"Awe, I see then you came and there was Laira. I think I see why it hurt you so much. I'm sorry, Sam. I realized I was in trouble when it was your face I missed the most. Being stuck on that planet and never seeing you again terrified me. I guess it's part of the reason I ended up with Laira. I wanted you."

Sam leaned in closer to Jack. Their faces were mere inches from each other. "But, we are going home and we have a war to win."

"And, we can't fight together and be together at the same time," Jack said softly.

"So this can't happen," Sam replied.

"It would be a very bad idea," Jack assured her as he took her face into his hands and stared into her eyes.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment then Sam pulled her head back and looked him in the eye, "So, what are we going to do, Jack?"

Jack sighed, "I guess we should probably try to maintain some professional distance until we're rescued and the war is won then I vote we pick up this conversation again and see where it leads."

"Sounds like a plan," Sam whispered. "There is something I need to tell you. Lena overheard Beyer and Roth talking. Beyer is going to offer you a second wife as kind of a reward for your services."

"What?" Jack growled.

"If I'm not pregnant by the end of our year, he plans to challenge and add me to his concubine. A second wife, especially a pregnant second wife, would make him look better when he offered to take me off your hands. Winter is coming, but we have to get out of here as soon as spring hits, Jack. We need to talk to Traven and learn as much as we can about Canter."

Sam opted against mentioning what Lena said about them not exactly seeming like a married couple. She wasn't sure either of them would be able to resist if they had to start showing their affection for each other in public or private. They'd have to leave well enough alone. He felt the way she felt. That's was enough for her.

Next door at Byron and Lena's house, their friends were also discussing Lord Beyer and his plans. "Lena, we really can't get involved. Think about the baby."

"I'm not suggesting we start a rebellion," Lena argued.

"Don't ever say that word again, Lena, not even in private. You know what happened the last time anyone rose up against Lord Beyer. We need to stay in his good graces. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Trust me, my love, I would never jeopardize our family. I just think we need to help our friends. Perhaps, you could suggest the mandrake powder to Jack. If they are having trouble conceiving, it might help."

"That's not a conversation men have, Lena."

"Mandrake powder is good for many things, Byron. If you suggested it as a supplement to help them stay healthy this winter, you would not be doing anything that a friend would not do for another, would you?"

"I suppose not. We do need Jack to stay healthy. If we are going to attempt to bring water to the wealthy houses during the cold months, we need the one with the technical know how to lead us."

"And, you'll suggest Samantha takes it as well?"

"I will. You win, Lena, but no more involvement. Do you understand?"

Lena smiled. "I won't do anything that could put our family at risk."

"That's not exactly the promise I was hoping for, my love."

"But, it's the only one I can give," Lena said with a smile as she kissed her husband.


	8. Chapter 8

Things became much calmer for Jack and Sam after finally admitting their feelings. They were careful to keep some distance between them, since they were both committed to going home and continuing their fight against the goa'uld. Soon, the air started getting crisper and there was a chill in the house most mornings. They'd had to start using the wood burning stove to keep their little house warmer. Of course, they were repeatedly told by Roth that they could have a larger house if Jack would just accept Beyer's gift of a second wife. Jack assured him that he and Sam were perfectly content in their little home.

Jack's team was busy working inside the city now that the farms were well equipped with semi-modern irrigation. They'd begun laying pipes from a few of the wells to the larger homes, starting with Beyer's of course. Sam no longer went with Jack as often. Neither of them thought it was such a good idea for them to risk one of the city's elites learning who the real brains was in the pair. Instead, Sam spent her time looking after a very pregnant Lena.

"Sam, are you excited about the Founder's feast?" Lena asked excitedly one afternoon.

Not really knowing how to answer since she knew very little about the holiday, Sam just smiled and nodded.

"It's one of my favorite days of the year," Lena said excitedly. "Byron and I would be honored if you'd spend the day with us. We will celebrate all afternoon then end the day with a tradition Founder's Feast meal. Since its your first year here, it would be our honor to truly introduce you to the holiday."

"That sounds like fun, Lena. We'd love to spend the day with you," Sam smiled, feeding off of her friends excitement.

"Wonderful! I hope you've been taking you mandrake powder. I'd hate for you to get a cold and miss the fun."

"We've been taking it everyday. Thank you for suggesting it. I think it's really boosted our immune systems."

Lena smiled knowingly, "yes, it does many wonderful things to bring balance to our bodies. I don't suppose you are expecting yet. You'd have told me, wouldn't you?"

Sam became a little uneasy. Lena brought up the pregnancy question a little more often than Sam really wanted to discuss it. She couldn't tell her that she and Jack were not pregnant because they were doing nothing that could potentially cause a pregnancy, but she did understand her friend was just concerned for her. "No, not pregnant," she said softly.

"Hmm," Lena frowned. "Well, I have a feeling your little one will be coming soon. Our children will be best of friends. It will happen."

Sam nodded and made her excuses so she could go home. She didn't want to lie to Lena, but the truth just wasn't an option.

Three days later, she and Jack were happily sitting at the table in their friends' home learning all about Atenos's beginnings and celebrating Lena's favorite holiday. It reminded Sam a little of team nights with SG1, and she found herself missing Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, and Cassie even more than usual. Jack must have noticed the sudden change in Sam's countenance because he politely made their excuses not long after the meal ended.

"Oh," Lena smiled, "I nearly forgot. I made you a cake. Take it with you and enjoy a piece tonight. It's tradition."

"Thank you, Lena. I love cake," Jack said with a nod.

Once they departed, Byron put his arms around his wife. "You lied to our friends," he said with a small smile.

"It was only a little lie. Cake goes well with Founder's feast."

"But, you just gave them a traditional wedding cake."

"Yes, I did. They've been on the mandrake powder for awhile. Maybe this will be the night our little one's best friend is conceived."

"Still, I'm surprised they didn't recognize it. I guess the traditions are more different in Cantor than I realized," Byron said with a smile.

"Byron, I'm beginning to think they may not be from Cantor. There are so many things they don't know about our culture. Could Cantor truly be so different? And, I believe if Cantor had some of the technological marvels we now have thanks to our friends, Lord Beyer would know about them. There's something off about our friends that puts them in great danger. If all I can do to help is make them a cake, I will do it gladly."

Back in their little house, Jack added another log to the fire. Sam cut them each a very generous piece of cake and they sat on their small couch. "I have missed cake," Jack said with a smile.

"Me too. And, I've missed real coffee, chocolate, jello, Diet Coke-"

"Beer, steaks, and our friends," Jack finished for her. "That's why you seemed a little off tonight, isn't it? Being with our new friends made you miss the guys."

"It did. I can go through most days not thinking about them much. We've been here over six months. This feels like our life in so many ways, but I miss the life we left behind."

"Me too. Sometimes, Byron will say something and I actually hear Daniel's voice coming out of his mouth. He reminds me a bit of him."

"I see the similarities," Sam said, finishing off her cake. "Lena reminds me a little of Cassie, or what I think Cassie will be like in a few years. Do you still think we'll get home eventually?"

"I do," Jack said softly. "I can't give up on the team again. They'll come for us eventually."

"It seems a little warmer in here tonight. Is it warmer outside?" Sam asked as she fanned herself.

"It don't think so, but you're right. It's kind of hot in here. Actually, I feel a little, well, buzzed, I guess. Wonder if Lena's cake had a high content of the local moonshine." For some reason that made Sam giggle. "Hey, no giggling, major."

"And, you think you can stop me, Jack?"

"I do," he replied pulling her into a deep kiss.

Sam was no longer giggling. Instead, she found herself kissing Jack back with the same intensity.

The next morning, Sam opened her eyes first. The events of the night before came flooding back to her. What had possessed them to completely chunk the plan. Looking at her sleeping CO, she sighed. There was definitely no coming back from this one. Sam started to sit up, intent on getting dressed quickly and getting out of the bedroom before Jack woke up, but Jack's arm was over her. She gently went to move the offending arm, but Jack's eyes popped open before she could disentangle herself from his grasp.

"So, not a dream," Jack said as he raised his hands to his head. "Do you feel a little hung over or is it just me?"

"Haven't really gotten that far. I'm still trying to process our situation, sir."

"Please, oh please, do not say sir. I feel bad enough. I'm sorry, Sam. I kissed you first. This is on me."

"Pretty sure this is on both of us," Sam replied. "So much for nobly waiting until the time was right, I guess."

"Yeah," Jack said simply. "Well, we've never had much luck with plan A."

"What now?"

"Now, we decide what plan B is and we try not to feel guilty. I'm not exactly sorry. I guess I should be, but I'm not."

Sam smiles, "this probably doesn't need to happen again if we are going to go back to the way things were when we go home."

Jack kissed her forehead, "probably not. Could we just stay here a few minutes before we talk about this too much?"

Sam nodded. This was certainly going to complicate things. "I have a feeling something was in that cake. Lena has been awfully worried about our lack of baby."

"Yeah, I think we better throw out the rest of that cake. New rule: No cake off-world, even if it's offered by a friend."

Sam couldn't help but giggle. "I'm pretty sure we already made the no cake rule after your earlier experience, but I agree. It's going to have to be better enforced."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Jack growled then softening his voice, "this was a much more welcome experience than that was. Still not sorry."

Sam laughed. This should have been way more awkward. "Still can't happen again." Keeping the blanket tucked in place, she turned to face Jack. "I need to find out what was in that cake. Lena is constant asking if I'm taking my mandrake powder then the cake obviously had some sort of affect on us. The timing here is also a little precarious." Jack looked confused. "Birth control or lack thereof and this particular time of the month," she raised her eyebrows and added extra emphasis to her words, hoping he wouldn't make her spell it out.

"Oh, oh, I, oh, that could be a problem."

"It would certainly necessitate us mentioning last night in our report."

"Then again," Jack said softly, "it would handle a problem we have here."

"Yeah," Sam softly replied.

"We'll deal with whatever happens when it happens. In the mean time, we'll make sure this doesn't happen again. That's not going to be very easy though, at least not for me. Last night is replaying in my head in vivid technicolor."

"I know, and, Jack, I don't think I'm sorry either."


	9. Chapter 9

Jack found himself at Traven's farm a few weeks after the holiday. "Jack, it's good to see you. You're making quite a name for yourself in Atenos. You've helped us a great deal," Traven said, greeting him with a wide smile.

"Um, thanks, Traven. I'm glad Sam's ideas are making such a difference. How are things here?"

"Very good. No threat of losing my farm this year thanks to you. Where is Sam?"

"She's sitting with out neighbor, Lena. Lena is in labor. She asked Sam to be her, what do you call them here? Matron of the Wait?"

"Yes, it is very good that Sam and Lena are so close. I've known Lena many years. She has always had many friends. She must think very highly of Sam to bestow this honor on her. The Matron of the Wait announces the birth of the new child to the community and personally writes the child's name in the registry. She is also an important part of the child's life."

"They are pretty close. Actually, Lena may be too close to us in some ways. She's constantly asking if Sam is expecting. She is sure Beyer plans to contest. I don't want Lena or her family to get hurt."

"Do not worry, Jack. Lena knows better than most the dangers of being on Lord Beyer's hit list. Her grandparents were part of the last great coo against Lord Beyer's father. They were beheaded, and Lena's family has been forced into service ever since they fell. That is the reason Lena has had to continue serving in Lord Beyer's house even after marrying Byron. She would never knowingly risk her family. I'm sure she is careful."

"So, there have been attempts to change things here. I didn't realize the people had revolted," Jack said thoughtfully.

"They failed miserably. I can't see them trying again."

"Lena offered us a cake a few weeks ago. I asked Byron about it later, and he was a little surprised we didn't know about marriage cakes. I tried to pretend it just looked different from the ones we had in Cantor, but I must say I'm curious."

"Did you and Sam partake of the wedding cake?"

"We did," Jack replied, making every effort not to give away any emotions.

"Congratulations, my friend. You are no longer lying to Lord Beyer. You are a married man."

"Explain."

"According to custom, in order to marry here, you must convince another married couple of your worthiness to marry. They then bake a wedding cake and present it to the couple who consume it together then they are considered married. It is usually the bride's family performing the honor, but any married couple will suffice," Traven said with a smile.

Jack merely nodded. This was a development he didn't expect. They made small talk a few minutes and Jack made his excuses and went back home. Sam was headed towards the well with the buckets when he arrived. Jack took the buckets and smiled. "Boy or girl?" he asked.

"Girl," Sam said with a grin. "Her name is Kira. She's healthy and just about perfect. She was born about an hour ago. I just finished signing her name in the registry."

"Great," Jack said as he filled the buckets. "I've got some news of my own from Traven. I'll tell you at the house."

"Okay, I can take one of those, you know," Sam said pointing to the buckets.

"Yeah, I was thinking we might ought to be careful until we know," Jack said softly.

"We know. I'm definitely not pregnant," Sam said as the walked into their home. "I should have mentioned it a few days ago. Honestly, it's just not a topic I'm comfortable talking to my CO about if you know what I mean."

"I suppose it would be a little easier to talk to your husband though," Jack said softly.

"Well, I suppose. This is a really weird situation. I guess I was a little disappointed. I know it's silly."

"Not silly. I'm a little disappointed, too. I know we agreed to wait until the war was won, but-"

"The war seems pretty far away right now," Sam finished for him. "Like I said, this is weird."

"Well, let me make it a little weirder for you. Traven just explained how weddings work here. It would appear that in Atenos, a couple must convince an already married couple they are worthy of each other. Once the do, the married couple gives them a wedding cake. They eat it and they are legally married. Apparently, honeymoon babies aren't uncommon thanks to the potency of the cake."

"So, you're saying by Atenos law we are now legally wed," Sam said, her eyes wide.

"Apparently. It doesn't have to change anything. We can still leave it out of the report."

"We've been here a long time, Jack. I'm pretty sure we've been declared MIA or even KIA. They've most certainly replaced us on SG1."

"It seems likely," Jack replied, awkwardly wondering where she was going with this line of thought.

"So, we didn't mean to get married. They can't hold it against us right?"

"Right, well, not technically."

"And, I doubt we will get to just go back to our old lives without changes anyway, so why are we waiting again?"

Instead of answering, Jack took his wife into his arms and kissed her soundly. "You know, I was hoping you were pregnant so there'd be no reason for us to keep playing this game. If you're in, I'm in, Sam. They'll have to accept our marriage. They accepted Daniel's marriage to Sha're."

"My thoughts exactly. And, if I do end up pregnant, my father won't kill you," Sam said with a grin.

Jack blanched, "your father is going to say you could have done much better, and he's not wrong."

"My father likes you, Jack. I think he'll handle this better than you think. I just hope we get the chance to tell him. Still think we are going home?"

"I'd bet my life on it, Sam. They'll come for us. We will go back to Earth."

 **SGC**

"How many gates are off-line that we know of?" Hammond asked.

"Twenty-two, sir," Dr. Lee answered timidly. "Besides Sam and Jack, we have two other teams stranded. We can't reach the alpha site now, sir."

Hammond shook his head. "I hate to do this folks, but the president doesn't feel it's wise for us to continue standard gate operations. Until we have some answers, the gate is for incoming allies and emergencies only. We really need to hear from our allies."

"But, General," Daniel argued, "we can't just abandon our people."

"We won't, but we can't put more at risk. I'm afraid we have no choice but to trust our allies to handle this one."

"General Hammond, I must respectfully request you allow me to gate back to my people. I must continue the fight against the goa'uld and continue to try and procure a ship," Teal'c said with a nod.

"Understood, Teal'c. You may dial out when you are ready."

"I'm going with him, general," Daniel said with a frown.

"I expected you would, Dr. Jackson. Godspeed."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chulak**

Daniel and Teal'c had been on Chulak a week. Daniel was antsy. He wanted to get out there and find Jacob Carter, but Teal'c insisted they find as much information about the disappearing gates as possible. They were meeting in secret with two members of the jaffa resistance.

"I've heard a few stories. Apophis's jaffa almost always appear on the planets shortly before the gates are taken. They do not bother terrorizing the villages or taking any hosts," Tal'ak informed them.

"They have been spotted attaching small devices to the stargate then they leave. The stargate simply vanishes afterward," his friend Ja'el added.

"How did you get this information?" Teal'c asked.

"In a few rare instances, the gates disappeared from planets where someone had a tel'tak. If not for those who fled by ship, we would know nothing. Teal'c, Apophis has acquired some dangerous weapons since you left his service. We can not imagine his purpose in taking these gates, but we believe he needs them for a very aggressive plan. He only removes gates from planets where no goa'uld has interest or a rival has control," Ja'el added.

"It sounds like these devices they attach must somehow allow him to beam the gates onto his ship. As big as a mother ship is, it's certainly not big enough to store all those gates. He must be putting them somewhere," Daniel said with a frown. "We really need Sam."

"I agree, Daniel Jackson. We must acquire a ship capable of making the trip."

"It's a long trip even by ship," Daniel sighed.

"Perhaps, our best chance would be finding a tel'tak closer to where Major Carter and O'Neill's current location."

"You mean gate closer and hope someone has a spacecraft we can borrow? That's kind of a long shot isn't it?"

"Not if we choose our planet carefully," Teal'c said with a nod.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Daniel asked.

 **Atenos**

Sam smiled as she opened her eyes. Waking up next to Jack was much nicer now that they weren't trying to keep their guards up constantly. It was a little odd how quickly they'd managed to accept their new predicament. Accident or not, they were married and Sam loved being married to Jack.

Lena had noticed the change in their relationship and casually mentioned how nice it was to see them openly showing affection. Her friend had been quite disappointed when Sam informed her they were not expecting. Of course, Sam didn't mention that there hadn't exactly been any possibility of a baby before that night.

Knowing Lena's family had once been part of a rebellion, Sam was extra careful what she said to her friend. She hated that Lena was still pressed into service because of her grandparents' attempt to make life better in the city. It was so wrong. Jack suggested they offer to take Byron, Lena, and Kira with them when they left for Cantor, but they couldn't make the offer until spring.

For now, it was best to just try and stay off Beyer's radar. Jack continued to plumb the houses, and Sam continued helping with baby Kira. Lena only had to work for Beyer a few hours a day since she was recovering from childbirth, so Sam happily cared for the baby while she was gone. It worried Sam that Beyer wouldn't even give Lena proper time to heal, but Lena constantly assured Sam she was being careful. Still, Lena's color worried Sam. She knew the signs of anemia well from her own experience, and she hated seeing her friend struggle.

"You're thinking too loud," Jack said without opening his eyes.

"Just worried about Lena," Sam said with a sigh.

"I know you want to help her. I wish we could do more," Jack said as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "Hopefully, we can all get a fresh start in Cantor." Sam frowned. She kind of wished he'd finished his sentence differently and mentioned home, but they both knew the likelihood of going home before spring was small.

"I guess we need to start our day," Sam said softly. "You're turn to make the coffee."

Jack blanched, "I really miss real coffee. This stuff is terrible."

Sam giggled. "Still your turn, Jack."

 **Tok'ra Base**

"We must stop Apophis. If he completes the weapon, he will be able to easily subdue the other system lords," Malek said with a frown.

"It's worse than that, Malek. If Apophis manages to synchronize the stargates, he will have a super weapon capable of unleashing enough power across the galaxy to destroy entire star systems. Many could die. I suggest we make contact with SG1," Anise replied.

"I'll go," Jacob said. "We need all the help we can get and this affects Earth, too."

"It is the best logical course of action," Martouf agreed. "I will accompany you."

Malek sighed. "The stakes are high. Go and see if they will assist. Perhaps they know something we don't that could help us."

"We'll go now," Jacob said with a nod.

 **SGC**

"Incoming wormhole. It's the Tok'ra, sir," Walter said.

"About time" Hammond replied. "Open the iris."

"George," Jacob said with a nod, "It's been awhile."

"Too long, Jacob, too long. If you gentleman would follow me, I think we need to talk."

"If SG1 are here, you might want to call them for this one, George. It's big."

Hammond frowned. He didn't want to have this discussion in the gate room. "They aren't here, Jacob. I'll explain in the briefing room."

Jacob nodded and they three men walked to the briefing room. Once they were seated, Jacob asked about his daughter again. "Where's Sam, George?"

"Over seven months ago, SG1 was on what should have been a simple visit to a planet. There were no known inhabitants near the stargate, and I honestly chose the mission for them because I expected it to be a bit of a cake walk. They'd had a rough few months, and they needed a little break. Things didn't go as planned. While they were exploring, Apophis's jaffa arrived. There was a firefight trying to take back the gate. Teal'c was shot. Jack ordered Daniel to bring him home. We tried to send reinforcements, but we weren't able to get a lock on the gate. We haven't heard from them since, Jacob."

"What?" Jacob asked. "Are you telling me my daughter is MIA?"

"I'm sorry, Jacob. We've tried to reach you, but your base had moved. Twenty-two other gates have been similarly compromised. We have two other teams stranded, and we can't reach the Alpha site. Things have gotten bad. If we had Sam, maybe we could have made progress, but-"

"She's not here. George, Martouf and I came to discuss this problem with you. By our calculations, at least twenty-five gates have been taken off of their planets by Apophis. He's building a very dangerous weapon. We came because we wanted SG1's help."

Hammond nodded. "We've had to suspend regular gate activity for the time being. Teal'c and Daniel left for Chulak last week. I don't know where they are now, but they were trying to find a tel'tak. Jack and Sam couldn't have gotten stranded further from home if they tried. Their team is desperate to get to them."

Jacob sighed. "Seven months and lost in a firefight. They could be gone. I need the coordinates of that planet, George. I have to see whether my little girl is alive or not. I have to try."

"I was hoping you'd say that," George replied. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop by Chulak on your way. If Dr. Jackson and Teal'c are still there, they'll want to help."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chulak**

A knock on the door in the early morning hours woke Daniel. His first thought was that he and Teal'c had been given up. They'd stayed on Chulak longer than Daniel was comfortable with so it was a real possibility the wrong person had seen them. Of course, he doubted Apophis's jaffa would bother knocking so he made his way to the door. Jacob and Martouf stood on the other side.

"Thought we might find you here," Jacob said with a quick nod. "I'm going to check on my daughter. George thought you might want to tag along."

"It's a long trip. Teal'c and I have been trying to find a ship. I don't suppose you have one with you."

"We are going to get one a little closer to the planet. There's a relatively unknown goa'uld named Kuk. We have an operative undercover on one of his planets. If the gate is still there, we can infiltrate the planet, meet up with the operative, and get our hands on a tel'tak. It'll put us much closer to the coordinates George gave me."

"Kuk, personification of darkness?"

"Yes, and the planet is pretty dark, too. Nights last thirty hours and days only about two."

"Well," Daniel replied, "that should make it easier to be covert. When do we leave?"

"The sooner, the better," Jacob replied. "It's still a good ten days by tel'tak from Kuk's planet, and Sam and Jack have been missing far too long. I need to know my if my daughter is still alive, Daniel."

"She is, Jacob. I can feel it. They're both alive," Daniel said with conviction. "Jack wouldn't let anything happen to Sam, no matter how irritated they were with each other when we left on the mission."

"George said you guys had a tough couple of months before they were stranded. I didn't realize there was a problem with team dynamics. Is there something I need to know? She's my daughter."

"It wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Jack and Sam were just having a little trouble coping with the last few missions. Jack had been stranded for a few months then he had to lie to us in order to do a sting operation. Don't worry. I'm sure they put their differences aside and took care of each other."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Jacob said under his breath.

Daniel was no fool. He knew exactly why Jacob was worried. The tension between Sam and Jack since Edora had been unbearable. Unlike Jacob, Daniel hoped they had found peace with each other and a way to resolve that tension between them even if it changed SG1 forever.

 **Atenos**

Sam was happily watching a sleeping Kira when the city alarms began to sound. She immediately carried the sleeping child to the doorway in hopes of getting a closer look. The alarms hadn't sounded since they'd arrived, but Lena had told Sam they were used just prior to public shamings or executions as a means of telling the people of the city to drop what they were doing and go to the town square. Sam looked at the sleeping baby, relieved she was too tiny to be scarred by whatever they were about to see, and started the walk to the square.

A large crowd had already gathered when Sam arrived, but she didn't see Jack, Lena, or Byron. She was surprised when Traven arrived at her side. He must have been inside the city already to arrive so quickly.

"Any idea what's happening?" Sam asked with a frown.

"Sadly, yes," Traven began. "One of Lord Beyer's servants passed out while bringing him his food. The plate spilled in his lap. He's having her shamed."

"Lena was working today. She hasn't recovered well from having Kira," Sam said softly. "You don't think-"

"It would not surprise me. Lord Beyer does not like her family. He fears they will rise against him as they did his predecessor. We will know soon enough."

"What happens in a shaming?" Sam asked.

"The person being shamed is tied to a post with arms above the head and only the tips of the toes on the ground. No food or water is offered and no contact can be made for twenty-four hours. It is very bad, especially in the cold of winter. I fear it will snow tonight."

Sam gasped and held Kira closer to her. She scanned the crowds for the others, but the only one she saw was Lena who was being walked into the center of the square by a guard. Knowing how sick Lena was, she was terrified. "We have to do something!"

"What can we do? You, me, and a baby against the entire city guard! We can't help her."

Sam heard Byron's voice before she saw him or Jack. "Please don't do this!" He screamed. "She just gave birth. She meant no offence. Please take me instead. Spare her!" Byron ran up to the guard, and the guard knocked him to the ground instantly.

Traven slipped away from Sam and grabbed Jack's arm before he could continue following Byron to Lena's side. "You cannot win. You have no weapons on you," he whispered. "Please think of your wife and my children. I vouched for you. They would kill me, too. My children would be orphans begging on the street. Lena's baby would be tossed aside to die." Jack resisted a bit then looked at the baby in Sam's arms. Sam looked into his eyes, ready to follow him into battle if he chose to go but realizing they had already lost. "We can only hope they merely shame him and don't execute him on the spot for his outburst."

Jack looked at Sam. "We will sneak back after dark with our weapons, grab them, and get them out of the city. I think it's better to take our chances with the elements," he whispered.

Sam nodded and readjusted the blanket over Kira. This was a nightmare. She couldn't look away from the scene in front of her. The guard kicked Byron multiple times and yelled obscenities at him before tying him to a pole beside Lena. Roth addressed the crowd. "This granddaughter of the traitors failed to serve our lord faithfully, and her husband attempted to counter Lord Beyer's order for punishment. It is decreed they must stand through the night. By order of Lord Beyer, anyone offering comforts to these prisoners will be put to death. You may return to your business."

Sam looked at her friends. Lena was so pale and her face was tear-stained. Byron was still bleeding and barely conscious. Sam desperately wanted to rescue them immediately but the small baby in her arms and lack of weapons made it impossible. They needed the cover of night and that was still four hours away. Traven followed Jack and Sam to the house. Jack immediately went into colonel mode. "Carter, pack a bag for us and go to Byron and Lena's and pack for them. Just grab the warmest clothes. We can't take much. I'm going to get our weapons from Traven's barn."

"Yes, sir. We need some type of formula and a bottle for the baby. Lena is always back on time to feed her, and she may be too weak when we rescue them."

"Good thinking. I'll stop and get supplies for Kira on the way. Traven, we will be leaving, and you weren't wrong when you said they'd blame you. I'm sorry. You can't safely stay here."

"I know," Traven said with a nod. "I will have the children prepare to leave. We will hitch the wagon and fill it with blankets and supplies. There's a group that opposes Beyer. I'll make contact with one of them and get us a safe house to wait out the snowstorm then we will leave for Cantor."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack said with a quick nod then he kissed Sam. "I love you. We will do everything we can for them, but-"

Sam knew what he was implying. Their friends were weak and exposed to the elements. They were outgunned and responsible for their friends' only child. Their options were limited. Their help might be too little too late.


	12. Chapter 12

**Kuk's Dark Planet**

Despite the darkness, it didn't take long to find the Tok'ra operative. Thankfully, Martouf had been to Kuk recently, so he knew exactly where she lived. Of course, none of them expected the sight before them when they arrived. Moneta was lying in a pool of her own blood. She was awake but she was very weak. Her symbiote, Couza, recognized Martouf instantly. "Please stay back. The blade they attacked with was poisoned. Contact with my blood could damage your host."

Lantash spoke instead of Martouf, "What have they done to you?"

"I uncovered a very diabolical scheme I wasn't meant to discover. Kuk has partnered with Anubis. They are building a weapon of mass destruction."

"We know. They've taken many gates," Lantash whispered. "We came looking for a tel'tak closer to one of the first planets where a gate was stolen. What can we do for you?"

"Bandages are in the bedroom. I think I can manage to bandage these myself, but I'm not sure I can heal the wounds. Time will tell. This poison is most unusual. I've never seen anything like it. Moneta is very weak. I am trying, but I don't know how much time we have left. It's imperative we stop the super weapon."

"We'll stop it," Jacob said with conviction, "but we need a tel'tak. Where can we get one?"

As she finished bandaging her wounds, Moneta told them the location of her tel'tak. "They will have it under guard now that I've been discovered. I doubt there are more than half a dozen guarding it, but the jaffa will no doubt be armed with more than just staff weapons. A touch from the poison blade causes agony you can't imagine. I've seen it used to kill jaffa without harming the symbiote. Whatever Couza says, it is a death sentence for me. My symbiote is stubborn and will try to postpone the inevitable as long as possible, but I will be dead soon. You must find Couza a new host." She looked at Daniel, "are you willing?"

Daniel shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Moneta. I don't think I can do that, but I will try to help in any other way I can."

Moneta nodded. "I expect I will live a few weeks. You must take me with you. I'll give you as much information as I can about the super weapon. It won't be easy on Couza. Find someone understanding and patient to take my place, please."

After making Moneta as comfortable as possible, they helped her to the place where the tel'tak waited. As she'd thought, it was under guard. Deciding a diversion was their best chance, Jacob and Daniel rigged an explosion about a thousand feet from the guards. Four of the six guards rushed toward the explosion leaving Teal'c and Martouf two to fight while Jacob and Daniel collected Moneta. Teal'c quickly blasted his jaffa with a staff blast, while Martouf shot his zat toward the other. They rushed into the tel'tak, Martouf holding his position at the door and zapping the other jaffa as they returned. Once everyone was inside, he turned to join them only to feel the pick of a knife in his calf. He looked down to see the jaffa he'd first zatted holding a blade. He shot him again before closing the door of the ship. Martouf knew his fate had just been sealed. He could only hope Lantash would be able to sustain him long enough for them to stop Apophis and Kuk's evil plan.

 **Atenos**

Jack arrived back at the house about thirty minutes before sunset. He was not alone. Traven and two men Sam hadn't met were with him. "These men are farmers like Traven. Word has spread quickly about Byron and Lena. Lord Beyer pushed too far. The people are ready to stand against him. Our mission objective has changed, Sam. You said you wanted to help these people. Do you still feel that way?"

"You know I do, Jack."

"Good, because this is our chance. Traven is taking Kira now. He's going to hide her with one of the wives of the new resistance then he will drive his wagon through the town square and pick up Byron and Lena as soon as we free them." Jack pointed to the man on his left. "We need a diversion and a way out of the city. I need you to take Joseth," he point to the man on his right, "and set explosives in the back wall. Joseth knows where to put them. You'll blow the wall at the same time I free our friends then Traven will get them out of the city then we'll meet and, with the help of about twenty others, we are taking Beyer down. It's a small square of farmers mainly, but we have the element of surprise on our side."

Sam nodded and handed off their supplies and Kira to Traven. The others left to finish preparing for the battle, and Sam and Jack were finally alone. "There's a good reason for the regs," Jack said with a sigh. "If I trusted any of these guys with the C4, I'd make you drive the wagon out of the city and not look back."

"I'd refuse to leave. Besides, you and I are the only soldiers here. I don't trust anyone else to watch your six. Traven was the right choice. His children need him."

"He promised to take care of Kira if something happens to the rest of us. You don't have to worry about her."

"I'm sure Lena and Byron would be grateful," Sam said softly.

Time past quickly and soon Sam and Joseth were set up at the back wall waiting for Jack's signal. The snow was just beginning to fall. It was bitterly cold.

The first shot from Jack's gun was the signal, and Sam blew the wall. It made a large enough hole in to get the wagon through easily and caused screams to come from nearby houses. Sam and Joseth slipped away in the confusion and made their way to Beyer's house. Sam breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Traven's wagon speed past her towards the newly created city exit. She began scanning the crowd for Jack. He had to be close.

Sam heard Jack's voice, but he wasn't with the others. His voice was coming across Atenos's version of a megaphone, the same one Roth had used earlier in the day to address the crowd. "People of Atenos, tonight you have a choice. Continue serving a man who steals your land, tortures new mothers, and treats you as slaves, or rise up and take your city."

By the time Jack arrived outside Beyer's house, Beyer's guards were already battling with the rebels. Sam had already had to reload her gun twice, but the numbers of city people rising up had increased exponentially. Jack nodded toward Sam and they two of them pushed towards the house. They battled their way inside. Beyer was surrounded by his guards, and Jack and Sam were nearly out of ammunition. They fought hand to hand and knocked out several of the guards before Roth got the upper hand on Jack by hitting him over the head with a steel bar. Sam darted at him, but she was captured by two of the guards. Soon, they were forcibly kneeling at Beyer's feet.

Beyer looked at Jack. "You've caused me a lot of trouble. I'll see you executed in the square at first light. You don't have to worry about your pretty wife though, Jack. I think I'll let her live. She can serve me," he said leering at Sam. "As a matter of fact, I think I'll let her serve me right now."

"Not going to happen," Sam replied.

"Leave her alone," Jack growled at the same moment.

Beyer merely smiled and had the guards pull Sam to her feet. The guards held her arms as Beyer moved in to roughly kiss his new prize, but they underestimated Sam's strength. She immediately brought her leg up and kicked Beyer away. Jack took advantage of the momentary confusion and broke free from the guards who were holding him down. He grabbed Beyer off the ground and held him by the neck. "I'd recommend you drop your weapons," he told the guards, "unless you want to see your boss killed by my bare hands."

They complied and soon Beyer and his guard were subdued. Their mission was a success. Sam knew the people of Atenos would have a long way to go before they could truly rule themselves, but Beyer was no longer a threat. Finally, she asked the question that she'd been afraid to ask during the battle. "Lena and Byron?"

"Alive, but very weak. Wish we had Frazier. Traven already had one of Atenos's physicians who was sympathetic to our cause waiting at the farm. We'll go to them as soon as we make sure the city is fully secure."

Sam nodded and looked around. The early morning lights showed the carnage of the night before's battle. They'd won, but it had been close. There were many casualties and prisoners of war who would need to stand trial. She couldn't help but think of Lena's grandparents. They'd tried and failed, but Lena, sweet, innocent Lena, and her mistreatment at Beyer's hand had finally given the people the courage to stand.

 **This was a tough chapter to write and I'm not completely satisfied with it, but I finally gave up. Hope it makes sense.**


	13. Chapter 13

Sam fed Kira her bottle and placed her on the bed beside Lena. Lena opened her eyes and smiled weakly. She looked so frail to Sam, and again Sam wished they'd been able to get to their friends sooner. Byron still hadn't woken up. The doctor feared internal injuries and even possible brain damage from the kicks he'd taken to the head. It was definitely still touch and go for this couple who had come to mean so much to Sam and Jack.

"Beyer won't be able to hurt your family again," Sam promised. "Things are going to be much better in Atenos. You just concentrate on getting better."

Lena slowly looked in the direction of her husband. "He shouldn't have tried to help me. I was weak. I should have been more careful then Byron would be safe."

"Don't blame yourself. You shouldn't have been working again so soon after Kira's birth. And, Byron did what he thought he needed to do for his family. You'd have done the same, Lena."

"No, I wouldn't. That's the sad irony of it. Byron was so worried I'd interfere in Byron's plans for you and cause trouble for our family, but he was the one who couldn't stand back. Sam, what would have happened to Kira?"

"She would have been taken care of, Lena. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to your child. We couldn't let you and Byron stay in trouble either. I'm just sorry it took so long to mount a rescue."

"Mount a rescue? I've never heard that phrase. Sam, I've heard the others talk about you and Jack in battle- the weapons, the C-pour."

"C4," Sam said with a grin. "It's an explosive. We used it to create a new exit."

"Yes, the C4," Lena repeated. "You are not from Cantor. Tell me the truth, Sam. Who are you?"

Sam sighed. She really didn't see any reason to continue with the secrecy. "Jack is a colonel in the United States Air Force. I'm a major. We are from another planet. It's called Earth. We traveled here though a stargate with the rest of our team. We were attacked and separated from the others. They made it home. We were stranded. Our way home disappeared. We met Traven and he helped us integrate into society. I never meant to lie to you, but would you have even believed us if we told you?"

"So, you are beings from outer space who are so advanced you can travel from planet to planet?"

Sam nodded, "well, many of the other races we've met consider us pretty primitive, but essentially, yes."

"And, you are soldiers on the same team?"

"He's my superior officer."

Lena's face blanched, "you were not married and had no intention of marrying then I gave you the wedding cake. I am so sorry, Sam."

Sam smiled. "Don't be sorry. I'm not. Jack and I had feelings for each other we weren't allowed to express before ending up here. You helped us. We are not unhappy about being married. It's good actually." Sam patted Lena's hand. "I'm grateful, Lena"

"It is I who should be grateful. Had you not come for us, Kira would be an orphan at Beyer's mercy. Now, we are free for the first time in our lives. Thank you, Sam. If only Byron could wake up and taste freedom."

"He will," Sam said with a lot more confidence than she actually had given his current condition. "I'll take Kira so you can rest. Everything is going to be okay."

"Thank you, Sam," Lena replied softly, sleep already taking her.

Walking into the next room, Sam found Jack talking with Traven and some of the others who had fought in the resistance. "You should be our leader," one of the men told Jack.

Jack shook his head. "You need to elect your own leaders then have elections every few years to choose new leaders. Don't set yourselves up in a way that would allow another Beyer to take over. Sam and I will be happy to help you get established, but I can't lead you. Eventually, Sam and I will be leaving. My wife," he looked at Sam and smiled, "is a brilliant scientist. She's the brains behind everything my team and I have dome the last few months. If you are interested in making more improvements, she's the one you want to talk to about them. We will help you as long as we are here, but you need to lead yourselves."

The men's eyes turned to Sam. The shock that a woman could know so much about science and technology was evident in their faces. Sam just smiled at Jack and promised she'd be happy to draw up some blueprints of things that might make life easier if they were interested.

They sat together for another few hours planning ways to make Atenos a democracy, doing away with social classes, and trying to decide the best way to deal with their new prisoners of war. Finally, all but Sam, Jack, and the couple who owned the farm returned to their homes to rest. There would be a lot to do in the coming days, but Atenos now had a real future. Sam suddenly didn't hate the idea of staying. Going home was still her preference, but she had Jack, her friends, and finally she could have her work. It was actually a kind of appealing option. She only hoped Lena and Byron would fully recover.

"Guess we won't be going to Cantor after all," Jack said as he kissed her.

"No, I think we are right where we need to be for now," Sam replied. "I told Lena the truth. She knows about Earth now."

Jack nodded. "No harm in that now. I'm glad we don't have to keep that secret from her anymore. We should probably not mention it to everyone else though. They might think we are cuckoo and lock us up with Beyer."

Sam giggled. Things just might turn out just fine.

 **Tel'tak**

Martouf didn't immediately mention his injury. He merely bandaged his wound and tried to care for Moneta while the others flew the tel'tak. It wasn't until he had to change his bandage that he was discovered.

Moneta had been sleeping, but her eyes opened as Martouf pulled the soiled bandage from his leg. She gasped, "Martouf, no. Tell me this didn't happen in the battle."

Martouf bowed his head then looked at her sheepishly. "I wish I could, Moneta."

"I guess neither of us have much time left," she replied sadly.

"Nothing we can do about it now, I suppose. I'm just sorry this happened just as we were beginning to find a friendship with each other."

"Friendship?" she asked quietly. "I'd hoped it was becoming a bit more than just a friendship."

Martouf allowed himself a small smile. "Me too. I didn't know I was ready to think of anyone this way, but your strength took me by surprise. Our last visit was very special to me. It was special to Lantash as well."

"Couza felt the same. I'm sorry. Had I not been caught then maybe things would have turned out differently for us," she smiled sadly. "I just wish we'd had more time."

Martouf lowered himself onto the cot beside Moneta. "Me too," he said wrapping an arm around her and gently kissing her cheek. "Me too."

 **Thanks for all the kind reviews. I appreciate everyone reading this story. It's definitely gone a different direction than I'd initially planned.**


	14. Chapter 14

Over the next few weeks, Sam and Jack fell into a new routine. The returned to their little home as soon as Byron was well enough to be moved. He wasn't doing as well as they'd hoped. He was very weak and he couldn't move one side of his body. They assumed the kicks to his head must have done considerable brain damage and left him paralyzed on the right side. Lena was still pretty weak herself, but she attempted to care for her husband. Of course, she had plenty of help. Jack and Sam checked in on them constantly and Sam found herself watching Kira often so Lena could focus on Byron. She also spent a lot of time drawing up blueprints and explaining them to the craftsmen of Atenos, while Jack helped get a new government started.

Sam was just finishing bathing the infant when she heard a knocking on their door. Jack was busy meeting with the newly elected city leaders, so she wrapped Kira in a towel and went to see who was there.

"Sam," Jacob said nearly crushing Kira as he hugged his daughter. "You really are alive."

"Dad," Sam smiled then noticing the others, "Daniel, Teal'c, you're here. We thought it would take longer for you to get to us."

"Apparently," Jacob said as he released his hold on Sam and stared at the baby who was now fussing in her arms. "Is there something you want to tell me? You've only been here eight months, Sam. Where's O'Neill?"

Sam gave him a puzzled look then realized he thought Kira was hers and that she had to have been pregnant before they were stranded. "There's a lot I want to tell you, but I think you're jumping to the wrong conclusion here."

"Well, if that's not your commanding officer's baby then whose is it?" he asked firmly.

Daniel tried to diplomatically help Sam out. "It can't be Jack's, Jacob. Remember, I told you he was stranded just before we came on this mission. I'm pretty sure he wasn't anywhere near Sam when this happened." Daniel gave Sam a puzzled look. "Of course, that does bring up a few questions in my mind. I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

"I wasn't," Sam said in an exasperated tone. "She's not mine. She belongs to my friend, well, our friends. Wait, why are we talking about this? We've been stranded because Apophis's Jaffa managed to somehow beam up the stargate. I think we have bigger issues to discuss, like how you got here so fast and how Apophis managed to steal a gate."

"Not just one stargate," Teal'c said with a slight bow. "Apophis has taken at least thirty."

"What?" Sam gasped, dozens of possible implications rushed into her mind.

Jacob sighed. "We have Martouf and another tok'ra operative on the tel'tak. They don't have much time. They were severely injured by a goa'uld named Kuk. He and Apophis are building a superweapon, Sam. That's why they are taking the gates. Moneta, the other operative had a tel'tak on a nearby planet. We only had to travel a few weeks by ship. We need to retrieve you and Jack and stop them before the weapon is completed. Where is Jack?"

"He's meeting with the new council. We just overthrew the tyrant who was in charge. He should be here soon. Let me take Kira to her mother then you can fill me in on the weapon and explain what's happening to Martouf. Why isn't his symbiote curing him?"

"Long story," Daniel said with a sigh, "and you aren't going to like it much. It really is good to see you, Sam. We've really missed you."

Sam went to deliver Kira to Lena then she sent a neighbor boy to retrieve Jack. Soon, they were all together on the tel'tak sharing what they'd discovered. Sam and Jack opted not to mention their marriage to the others. There were more pressing things to discuss, and Sam had a feeling that particular conversation wasn't going to go as well with her father as she'd hoped.

"Do you think any of the people of Atenos would be willing hosts?" Selmak finally asked. "There is nothing more we can do for Martouf and Moneta. Lantash and Couza will be lost if we don't find suitable hosts soon."

Sam looked over at Martouf. He looked so weak, but he smiled at her. "If we can at least find a host for Couza, it would be greatly appreciated," Lantash replied. "Couza has knowledge we need to stop Apophis."

"No," Couza exclaimed. "We need to save you. I can tell you what you need to know. I don't want to go on without you. If there are not two hosts, save Lantash."

Sam was a bit surprised. She didn't realize Martouf had found love again, but it was pretty evident in his eyes as he looked at Moneta that he cared deeply for her. She was both relieved and saddened, relieved he had managed to move on after Jolinar and sad that not only was Martouf dying but Lantash might not have a future with his love. "We'll talk to them." She looked at Jack. "What about Byron? A symbiote might be able to restore his range of motion and heal the brain damage."

Jack made a face. Sam knew he wasn't comfortable with the idea of a Tok'ra in his friend. "I guess we would have to discuss that with him. It's still only one host, Sam, and most of these people don't even know there's life on other planets."

"It's a start," Sam relied. "We have to do something."

Jack nodded. "Okay, Sam. We'll talk to Byron and Lena about it, but Byron has a family. He can't exactly abandon his wife and daughter to go gallivanting across the galaxy."

"It is rare for tok'ra to take hosts who have families but not unheard of," Selmak replied. "Byron and his symbiote could remain with his family until it is suitable for him to be an operative."

"If he is willing, you have a chance, Couza," Lantash said softly.

"Or, you do," Couza replied. "You wouldn't need a new host if I'd maintained my cover."

"I think I have an idea. Dad would you come back to the city with Jack and I? We need to talk to Lena and Byron right away."

"I'd be happy to accompany you and Colonel O'Neill back to the village," Jacob replied, adding enough extra emphasis on the word colonel to make Sam cringe. He'd definitely noticed the increased familiarity between them.

"Great, let's go," Sam said with a nod toward the others. "We'll be back soon."

Once they were on the trail back to the city, Jacob pulled Sam aside. "I know it must have been difficult being stranded with your commanding officer for so long, Sam, but you need to get your focus back on your rank," Jacob lowered his voice, "and his."

Sam gave her father a guilty look. "I'll work on that, Dad, but we've been here a long time. Some things have changed."

"You're rank and position hasn't, Sam. I just don't want you to throw away your career because of an unfortunate accident."

Sam sighed, "Dad, it's a little more complicated than that. We had to integrate into a very dangerous environment. To stay safe, or rather to keep me safe from the tyrant we just overthrew, Jack and I had to pose as husband and wife."

"You did what you had to do, Sam. Now, you don't have to pretend you're something you're not anymore."

"About that, we haven't been pretending for awhile now. Jack is my husband, my legal husband on Atenos. That isn't something we plan to change when we leave. We love each other, Dad."

"What?" Jacob yelled. "O'Neill, you've got some explaining to do!"

 **Yep, I think I am going to just end it right here. Next chapter should be up in a few days**


	15. Chapter 15

Jack stopped walking and turned around. By the angry look on Jacob's face and the frustrated expression on Sam's, Jack knew the cat was now out of the bag. He sighed. It was time to face the music. "Okay, Jacob, say what you need to say, but keep this in mind. Not only do I love your daughter but I respect her and would never hurt her."

"If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Jacob huffed. "You just endangered her career, Jack. You're no spring chicken, you know what the brass are going to say. Even if there's no court martial, this is going to follow her forever."

"Dad, we can handle the consequences," Sam assured him.

"Not we, Sam. Jack isn't the one they'll be whispering about in the locker room. Jack isn't the one who's every promotion will suddenly be called into question. You made major under his command, Sam. Do you really want to throw away everything you've worked so hard for over some guy who couldn't keep it in the pants in a mission?"

"Excuse me! Jack isn't some guy. He's the same man you have grown to love and respect. And, keep it in his pants, are you kidding me? This wasn't a quick roll in the hay while waiting on a bad guy, Dad. We've been here eight months. We were stranded with no way home. Sure, we hoped someone would come eventually, but this was our reality. The feelings were there for a lot longer than either of us probably need to admit, but we still tried to keep things professional."

"Sounds to me like your idea of professional and mine aren't the same," Jacob huffed. "I raised you to be smarter than this."₩

"Dad, it wasn't like that. Initially, we just acknowledged the feelings were there. We had no intention of acting on them while we were in the same command. We know what's at stake here. Our well-meaning friends, the ones we are supposed to be visiting right now, thought we were married and having trouble conceiving. Lord Beyer, the man who was in charge, wanted to make me part of his concubine. If I didn't get pregnant in a certain amount of time, he'd have challenged our wedding."

"What?" Jacob asked in panic.

"Essentially, we were drugged with some pretty powerful aphrodisiacs," Sam finished.

"In the form of a cake," Jack added. "You know I can't turn down cake."

Jacob rubbed his head. He was silent for a moment. "Sam, are you telling me you're expecting your commanding officer's baby?"

"No," Jack and Sam said in unison.

"I'm not pregnant, but the cake was a marriage cake. Legally in Atenos, we are married. It wasn't intentional on our parts, but we intend to use that little loophole to stay together. They have acknowledged marriages off-world before, so a precedence exists."

"But Daniel and Shar'e weren't military, Sam. You're playing a risky game."

"We know, Jacob," Jack agreed. "That's why if there is an issue I intend to take full responsibility and resign."

Sam looked at Jack. "We never discussed that."

"I didn't think you'd approve and it doesn't matter. As the commanding officer, I'm the one who should be penalized. You're whole career is ahead of you. Mine is supposed to be over anyway. It's the right call."

Sam gave Jack a look that told him she'd be bringing that conversation up again later then turned to her father. "You don't have to like what we've done, but I suggest you accept it. If you make me choose, I choose Jack. Don't make me choose between you, dad."

Jacob shook his head. "Well, I guess it could have been worse. But, Jack, if you hurt my daughter-"

"I'll deserve whatever you do to me," Jack finished.

"Dad, we'd prefer to tell the others ourselves in our own way," Sam said softly.

"Understood," Jacob said with a nod, "now I guess we should get to the mission at hand."

Arriving at Byron and Lena's, Jack suggested it might be best if Sam explained what they were asking Byron to do. He still wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he figured it was only fair to give Byron the option. "So, this symbiote would allow me to walk again and fully recover?"

"Essentially," Sam said with a smile. "Of course, with the extent of your injuries, the symbiote would not be able to leave you without you potentially losing mobility."

"And, I could stay here with Lena and our daughter?"

"Ideally, we would prefer you relocate to a planet with a stargate in case you are needed, but we would find one suitable to your family's needs," Selmak answered. "When the time is right, I think you'll want to join the fight, but that decision will be yours."

"I think I would like to meet them. What will happen to the other symbiote? I'm assuming I will only have one. Is that how it works?"

"Yes," Sam nodded. "If we can't find another host then only one of the Tok'ra will live. That's going to be a difficult decision. These two tok'ra are in love, like you and Lena. You would grieve for the lost one just as your symbiote grieves. It's a completely symbiotic relationship. That's why I have another suggestion," Sam looked at Lena, "you'd be the ideal candidate."

Lena's eyes grew wide, "me? I'm recovering nicely."

"It isn't necessary for you to be sick to take a symbiote."

"And, if I don't take the symbiote and another does, will I lose my husband to another?" Lena asked.

"No," Selmak answered. "It would be difficult for the others involved, including your husband, because those feelings would be present. But, Lantash and Couza are too honorable to endanger your marriage or your family in any way. On that, you have my word."

"I, too, need to meet them," Lena said looking at Byron.

"I'll borrow a team and wagon and we'll take you to them," Jack said with a nod. "Whatever you decide, you'll always have our friendship. Do what's best for you." With a nod, he left to get a wagon. He didn't know what they'd decide, but they'd done their part.


	16. Chapter 16

When they arrived at the tel'tak, the group left Byron and Lena alone with Martouf and Moneta for awhile. After some discussion, Lena left the cargo hold that had become a makeshift hospital room and went to find Sam.

Sam was replacing a few crystals in order to get a little more power to the shields when Lena arrived. "How did it go?" she asked softly.

"Bizarre," Lena replied, "but the idea is appealing. I've tried to stay out of the spotlight my entire life in hopes of staying alive. Now, I'm safe and free to live as I choose. Joining with Couza would change that for me."

"It doesn't have to change things right away. Kira is still very small."

"Yes, and if we do this, she will be the only child I ever have, Sam. Is it fair to do this to my child?"

"Only you and Byron can answer that question," Sam replied.

"If Byron doesn't become a host, he will never have the life he wanted. I believe he will do it, and I can't imagine what our life would be like if he does this and I am not the one to take the other symbiote. I'm just afraid. I was so intrigued when you told me you were from another planet, but I'm not a warrior like you. What if I have nothing to offer the tok'ra?"

"You're brave, Lena, and you're compassionate. You barely knew me, but you risked your family's safety warning me about Beyer's plans. You endured his punishment for hours before we could get to you. You have lots to offer. Not all hosts were once soldiers. I don't know Moneta's story. Did she tell you what she did before joining with Couza?"

"She was a seamstress. Her planet was under the goa'uld Nirti. She joined with Couza when Couza's previous host was killed," Lena said softly.

"See, sounds like Couza doesn't need a warrior. Moneta and Couza did just fine. If you decide this is what you want to do, I think you'll be just fine, too."

"Thank you, Sam. I think I will do it. Byron needs this," she paused. "Promise me you'll look after Kira if something happens to us. You are my lady of the wait. I need to know she will be safe."

"Of course, Lena. I promise."

"I guess we should get this over with before I come to my senses," Lena said with a sigh.

When Sam and Lena rejoined the others, Byron requested a moment alone with Sam. "Martouf told me about Jolinar."

"Awe, I guess I should have mentioned that myself," Sam replied, realizing his concern immediately. "The memories are there and I dealt with a few left over feelings for awhile, but it wasn't real for me. It won't be real for you either. This doesn't have to be weird."

Byron nodded. "I just thought we should talk first."

"Lantash found love again with Couza. You love Lena. I love Jack. I think we'll be just fine. Don't let it stop you from getting your mobility back, Byron. Our friendship is strong enough to weather a few residual feelings, and our love for our partners is stronger than any memories."

"Thank you, Sam. I know it was your idea to offer this to us. I didn't know how I was going to take care of my family yesterday. Today, I have a chance to do that and so much more."

"You're welcome, Byron. This will help all of us. It's going to be just fine. Are you ready? I don't think Martouf and Moneta have much longer."

"I'm ready," Byron said with a small smile.

After a tearful goodbye between Martouf and Moneta, Lantash and Couza joined their new hosts. While they rested, Jack went to speak to Traven. Byron's injuries would take time to heal and the threat of the super weapon was too big to wait for him. They would need Traven to care for Byron and Kira. Couza's intel was too important, so Lena had agreed to accompany SG1 and Daniel to the planet. It would be a dangerous mission, and Sam truly regretted needing Lena on this one. Once it was over, they'd relocate their friends somewhere relatively safe, but nowhere would be safe if Anubis was successful.

 **Huron, Apophis and Kuk's Base of Operation**

"When will the weapon be ready?" Apophis asked.

"We need a few more chapa'i. The others are positioned correctly and the control panel is in place. I estimate we can proceed with our plans in 72 hours," Kuk said with a bow.

"Very good, explain the system again."

"The chapa'i are lined up with only two feet between each one. The control panel can be linked to the chapa'i required. For greater distances and larger explosions, we use more chapa'i. Place the control panel on a chapa'i closer to the end of the line to do less damage. As each chapa'i activates, it sends more power to the next chapa'i in the line. No one will stand against you, my lord."

"Very good, Kuk. I believe our partnership will be most fruitful. My first target will be the Taur'i. They have a shield over their gate. They call it an iris. Will it be a problem?" Apophis asked.

"No, my lord. The build up of power will be sufficient to cross their iris and utterly destroy not only their planet but their star system, of that I am sure."

"That is good news. I worked very hard to remove the only ones who could have stood against me on their world, and the spy in their ranks has not discovered my trickery. He believes I merely wanted revenge against SG1, and he was more than willing to comply after O'Neill shut down an off-world facility. I only regret he will die instantly with the rest of his planet and never know he handed me such a great victory. The Taur'i will be the example. No system lord will resist after seeing the damage I can cause. You will be rewarded handsomely, Kuk."

"Thank you, my lord."

"We will be ready to use our weapon in 72 hours then I will broadcast my victory throughout the galaxy."

 **Atenos**

Jack and Sam decided to spend their final night on the planet in their home. They'd missed their friends, but they needed some time alone before embarking on such a dangerous mission. They held each other tight but neither really slept.

"Part of me wishes we didn't have to leave," Jack said as he kissed Sam's forehead.

"Me too. It feels like home. I missed the guys, but I love the life we've created. I don't want to lose this when we go home," Sam sighed.

"We won't. I told you, Sam, I have a plan. I'll resign."

"It doesn't have to be you. They'd hire me as a civilian contractor. I could still be part of the program. They need you."

"Not as much as I need you," Jack assured her. "Besides, someday, I want to brag that my wife's a general. My career is really over anyway, Sam. This is the best solution."

"No, the best solution would be for them to let us stay together and keep doing our jobs," Sam argued.

"The regs are there for a reason, Sam. I hate the idea of taking you on this mission. I don't think I can be objective anymore. That's a liability, Sam. It proves the government's point. That's why I've told your dad to take the lead on this one. I can't."

"And, you think my dad can be more objective about sending his only daughter into danger, Jack? I don't think so, but we've worked with him before and he always does what needs to be done. You would do the same. Nothing has really changed. Our feelings were already there."

"Yes, but now that we've acted on them, I can't be your CO. You matter too much to me," Jack said as he tightened his grip on her. "I don't think I've ever loved this way before."

"Not even Sarah?" Sam asked.

"Not even Sarah," Jack repeated. He paused a moment. "We need to tell the guys tomorrow. They have a right to know."

"I have a hunch they already do," Sam said softly, "but you're right. We'll talk to them after we leave."

"I still don't regret any of this, Sam."

"Me either," Sam replied before kissing him passionately.


	17. Chapter 17

Once the tel'tak was in hyper drive, Jack asked Daniel and Teal'c to meet them in the cargo bay. From some of the looks they'd given him when he referred to Sam as Sam instead of Carter and the raised eyebrows when Jack had announced they were going to stay in their house the night before, Jack knew they weren't going to be too surprised.

"So, Sam and I wanted to thank you guys for not giving up on us," he began, shamefully remembering his time on Edora. "We knew you'd do everything in your power to get us home, and you didn't disappoint us."

"Of course, Jack," Daniel nodded. "We couldn't just leave you. No man left behind, remember? I'm glad you managed to fit in so well in Atenos. You guys seem to have worked through your issues."

"Ah, yes, our issues weren't actually that hard to work through when we thought we were quite literally the only two people on the planet," Jack said, stealing a glance a Sam. Her face was already turning a bit pink. "I guess you may have noticed that Sam and I have gotten a little closer."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"It was a little noticeable," Daniel agreed while trying to hide a smile. "Not particularly surprising in my opinion, whether you were the last two people on the planet or not."

"I concur. I am not surprised," Teal'c added.

"Yeah, well, um, Sam," Jack looked at Sam mentally pleading for her to take over.

"We had to pretend to be married to protect me from a ruthless lord in charge of the city. Only, it didn't really take us long to realize we weren't exactly pretending. We love each other," Sam said, looking directly at Daniel, "I know you realize this is going to change some things for SG1."

"So, you plan on staying together?" Daniel asked with a small smile.

"Yes," Sam nodded. "According to Atenos law, we are legally married. The brass recognized your marriage to Shar'e. We are going to request they recognize our marriage as well. It may be tricky. They may even attempt a court marshal," Sam acknowledged, "but we aren't giving up what we've found."

"That's great you guys. I'm really happy for you guys. Janet's going to be over the moon," Daniel paused, "Hammond and Jake might not take it very well."

"Jake knows," Jack supplied. "He's not thrilled, but I'm still alive. Hammond is a good man. He will do what he can to help, but the team won't be able to stay as it is once the Brass find out. I'm probably going to retire again. It's way past time for me to enjoy some fishing."

"I, too, am pleased. You deserve happiness O'Neill and Major Carter-O'Neill."

"Carter is fine for now," Sam said with a smile. "You can transition to calling me Major O'Neill if and when we get things sorted with the brass. I could very well end up resigning myself."

"Not going to happen," Jack growled. "Your career isn't taking a hit for this."

"We don't know that yet, but if it does it'll still be worth it. I love you, Jack. I'm spending the rest of my life with you regardless." Jack kissed his wife tenderly. As he pulled away, he noticed the guys trying to avert their eyes.

"Well, this is going to take a little getting used to," Daniel whispered to Teal'c.

"Indeed."

Once SG1 had a chance to catch up, they joined Jacob and Lena and tried to do a little planning for their mission. "I believe it is very likely Kuk and Anubis are on Huron. Kuk has made many trips there in recent months and it's location is out of the way enough to provide a nice hiding place," Couza informed them. "We should be there in two days."

"Makes sense," Jack agreed. "I figure the gate on our planet, um, Atenos," he corrected, "was one of the first taken. Seems logical to start with a planet closer to the one they were working from then fan outward."

"I agree," Selmak replied. "What type of defenses can we expect?"

"Because it is an uninhabited world, with the exception of Kuk's jaffa, and it's not considered strategically valuable, we can expect minimal security. Of course, I have no way of knowing how many jaffa Apophis has brought along. We know they have at least one mother ship capable of moving stargates. I expect it is in orbit around the planet. Kuk likely has under thirty jaffa with him on the planet."

"Apophis will have more than thirty as a show of superiority," Teal'c nodded.

"So, a mother ship, a super weapon, over sixty jaffa, and two system lords," Jack frowned. "I don't know that I would call that minimal."

"And a poison that kills the human while protecting the host," Daniel added. "We need a plan."

"A diversion," Sam added. "Obviously, we'll go in cloaked but we need a diversion on the planet to draw as many jaffa away from the weapon as possible."

"Any ideas coming to mind?" Jack asked.

"One, but I don't think you are going to like it much," Sam winced. "Apophis hates us. If we sent Jacob and Lena undercover to disrupt the weapon's progress and made our presence felt, he'd definitely go after SG1."

"I can think of so many reasons why that's a bad plan," Jack balked. "The biggest being we need you to disable the super weapon, Sam. You aren't bait."

"Couza and Selmak have more knowledge about the weapon than I have, Jack. I think the lure of capturing all of us might give them exactly enough time to get the job done."

"No, they'll have to settle for part of SG1. You go with your dad and Lena."

"I believe you put my dad in charge of this mission because you were afraid you couldn't be objective. I thought you were wrong, but I'm beginning to agree with you." Sam turned to Jacob, "Dad, you know I'm right."

Jacob sighed. "Jack, I hate to admit it, but Apophis does have a grudge against you guys. If he thinks he can take you out, he'll use every resource available. Good thing I brought along something Anise and Martouf have been working on that might give us the distraction without endangering the team."

Jacob walked back to the cargo bay and returned with a metal box. He opened it and pulled out a device. Jack watched him with anticipation, hoping this device really could prevent them from having to endanger any of SG1 more than necessary. "This is holographic technology. We can set it up to show you guys as easy targets while keeping you far enough away that you aren't in real danger of being captured. It works real time, so you'll each need to be outfitted with sensors and actually running around on the planet. You just won't be where they expect. It'll still be necessary for Lena and I to sabotage the weapon, but you should be able to safely keep them busy."

Jack smile and patted Jacob on the back then he addressed Couza. "Couza, if this works, I'm going to find a way to take you and Lantash out for steaks."

"It's very newly acquired technology," Jake warned, "and since we had to leave Lantash behind, it would probably be a good idea if Sam and I took some time to make sure it'll work properly."

"I will fly the tel'tak," Teal'c assured them.

"Let's get to work," Sam said. Jack knew she'd missed tinkering with real tech, so he gave her a small smile. He hoped she would be excited enough about her new doohickey to forget she was aggravated with him for not liking her plan.

Once everyone was settled and working on their projects, Jack sat down beside Daniel. He'd really missed his favorite space monkey. "So, are you really okay with this thing between me and Sam?"

"I'm thrilled for you guys. I hate that things are going to change, but honestly they really changed six months ago. It's obvious you guys really care about each other. It's good."

"Thanks, Daniel."

"We missed you guys a lot. Cassie was really upset when Janet told her you were stranded again. She might not let you guys out of her sight for awhile."

"Maybe when this is over, we can all go up to the cabin. It's time I teach Cassie to fish."

Daniel groaned, "I should have known rescuing you was going to lead to fishing. It might be more fun if there were actual fish in your pond, Jack. Ever think about just having it stocked?"

Jack feigned aggravation. "That's not even sportsman like. Besides, it's not the catching, it's the fishing." Both men laughed, and Jack finally felt like they really were going home.


	18. Chapter 18

They kept the tel'tak cloaked as they arrived in orbit around Huron. Sam and Jacob felt fairly confident in the holographic equipment, and Sam gave Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c a quick primer on how to use the equipment. It was equipped with sensors allowing them to see what was happening in the vicinity of their holograms, so they could adjust their own actions accordingly. Lena was nervous, but Sam urged her to just give Couza control and trust her instincts.

The key to their operation was to get as much attention away from the long line of stargates as possible and keep the jaffa busy until Jacob and Couza could rig a self-destruct to the final stargate in the line. If they were successful then the first time the weapon activated, it would destroy not only the weapon but the planet and the mother ship above the planet. Sam made sure everyone understood that she had no idea how far the blast would reach. It would really depend on how many gates were activated at once, but there were no other inhabited planets in the vicinity and they planned to have the tel'tak as far away as possible by the time Anubis could activate the weapon.

Of course, SG1 never had much luck with plan A, and they had no plan B as of yet, so everyone was a little apprehensive. Knowing there was a chance this would be a suicide mission, Sam and Jack took a few minutes to just be alone. "Guess vacation's over," Jack said with a frown.

"Looks that way," Sam replied as they held each other. "I still don't regret any of it."

"Me either, and I don't plan on regretting dying today."

Sam giggled. "We do have a lot to live for at the moment."

"Yes, we do," Jack said softly. "If it goes south and the hologram doesn't work-"

"It'll work."

"Sam, listen to me. If the hologram fails, I need you to get Lena and get to the tel'tak."

"I from not leaving you, Jack. Don't try to protect me. I'm still me. I can handle myself."

"You can handle yourself really well. Believe it or not, it's Lena I'm trying to protect with this order. She needs to make it home to her baby, Sam. Kira deserves to know her mother."

Sam looked pensive for a moment. "I'll do my best to protect Lena, but if there's any way to protect the whole team, I will do it."

"Fair enough," Jack sighed. "I love you, Sam."

"I love you, too."

Initially, everything went very well on the planet. SG1 set up near the still-cloaked tel'tak while Jacob and Lena moved closer to the weapon. On Jacob's signal, Sam flipped the switch and their holographic images appeared to the west of the weapon. This was ideal because the tel'tak was due east. Jack made the first move to get the jaffa's attention. "Hey," he yelled, his voice coming from the hologram, "anybody got directions to the nearest stargate? I'm a season behind on The Simpsons and I really need to catch up."

A group of jaffa turned their weapons on SG1. "I'd say you got their attention," Daniel said. "Now what?"

"Now, we run. Keep them busy folks," Jack yelled as he took off in the opposite direction. Each teammate chose a different path and they took off. It was hard for Sam to contain her grin as she watched her teammates running around pretending to evade capture, knowing they were far away from the action. "No grinning, Carter," Jack declared. "This is supposed to be life or death."

Hearing her rank on his lips, Sam wiped the grin from her face. "Yes, sir." Oh, how she'd missed being in the field with the team.

They managed to keep the jaffa busy for awhile, and Jacob radioed that he and Lena had almost completed their little addition to the weapon when the unthinkable happened. Daniel's hologram briefly flashed. One second, he was there then he was gone then he suddenly reappeared about twenty feet from where he should have appeared and his image was double-imposed over one of the jaffa.

"Guys, I think this is going to be a problem," Daniel yelled. "They definitely saw that."

Sam sighed. She quickly made an adjustment to the program, but it was too late. The jaffa were retreating back to camp shouting about their trickery. "Jack, Dad isn't finished."

"Let's go team. Sam, retrieve Lena and get to the tel'tak. Daniel, you help Jacob. Teal'c, you're with me."

"Jack," Sam sighed, "if Dad hasn't completed the mission, I'm the one he needs. You have to trust Daniel to save Lena."

"It wasn't ever just about Lena," Jack sighed.

"I know, but it's the right call," Sam whispered.

"Go. Daniel, grab Lena and get her to safety."

Sam radioed Jacob a warning then they took off. Lena met Daniel near the edge of the camp. Sam saw Jack and Teal'c engaged some of the jaffa who'd been chasing their holograms as she reached her father. "Almost done," he sighed. "Just need to make one more adjustment." After hurriedly hiding the attempt at sabotage, Jacob looked at Sam, "let's go."

Sam and Jacob had only made it a short distance when Sam saw something that she knew she'd never forget. Teal'c's unconscious form was being dragged by two jaffa toward what she could only guess was Anubis's base of operations, and Jack was on the ground. He'd been hit by a staff weapon in the arm but he was still trying to take out as many jaffa as possible. She started to run his direction, but she felt her father's hand on her shoulder ."I'm going, dad."

"I know," Jacob sighed, "but it's not a good plan."

"I don't care. Get to the tel'tak."

"I'll be back to rescue you. Just try to keep them alive," Jacob replied.

Sam managed to shoot several jaffa before finally being captured and thrown into a cell with Jack and a still unconscious Teal'c. "He's alive," she said after checking his vitals. We just have to hang on and wait for Dad and Daniel."

"You should be on that Tel'tak," Jack argued as Sam used a torn off piece of her jacket to bind his wound.

"Could you have left me?"

"No."

"Then don't act so surprised. We just proved we shouldn't stay on the same team. The regs-"

"Are there for a reason," Jack finished.

Their conversation was cut short by the entrance of their not so favorite goa'uld. "I did not expect to find SG1 here," Apophis said with a smile. "I thought I had prevented any more interference when I stranded you. No matter. I guess I shall have the privilege of killing you myself." Apophis looked at Teal'c. "I may let the shol'va wake up before his death. He will feel more pain for his betrayal before I take his life, and you," he looked at Sam and Jack, "you will see the destruction of your planet by my weapon before succumbing to death."

"Like he-" Jack began.

"Silence," Apophis shouted. "The Taur'i will perish today." He lowered his voice, "you should know none of this would have been possible without the traitor in you midst. I cannot keep my word and save his life, but I never planned to anyway. If Captain Spencer had not put the coordinates of the planet into your database and suggested it as a mission for SG1, perhaps you'd have found a way to stop me. Now, it is too late. Your people die in one hour."


	19. Chapter 19

Once Apophis had left them, Jack looked at Sam with sorrow welling in his chest. She was the only one in any condition to fight and they had no weapons. "How sure are you the weapon is going to fail and blow up the planet?"

"The discharge has to go somewhere and we've disabled the final gate. If he uses more than three gates sequentially, the blast will take out at least a 12 mile radius. By my calculations, to even begin to impact the SGC, He'll need to set off at least six." Sam paused and looked away from him. "The important thing is that Earth is safe, and hopefully Dad, Daniel, and Lena will realize they can't save us and get a far enough distance away to avoid the blast."

"Yeah, I can't see them giving up on us that easily," Jack said as he pulled her face toward him. "Let's not give up on ourselves yet either. Think you can reach the control panel on the cell? Maybe if you get the door open, we can make a break for it and make things a little easier for the rescue party."

"I'll see what I can do." Jack watched as Sam's delicate fingers worked their magic on the panel. It took her only a few minutes to get the door open then the two of them managed to rouse Teal'c enough for him to lean on them as they made their exit. The trio hadn't manage to hobble far when they heard weapons fire. "That sounds like the tel'tak's weapons," Jack said as they tried to quicken their pace.

"I noticed a ring platform this way," Sam replied. Jack was relieved the jaffa were too busy trying to fend off the tel'tak to monitor the corridors. "Jack, if we can make it to the ring platform and Dad's monitoring the rings, he can lock on and transport us out of here. Of course, there's also a really good possibility he's so busy fighting off Apophis he won't notice and we'll end up on the mother ship."

"Daniel would know that if we were able to get free, we'd use the rings. It's worth a shot. Besides, I think I'd rather take our chances on the mother ship than the planet at this point."

Sam nodded and they quickly made it to the rings. While Jack made sure Teal'c was completely inside, Sam fiddled with the controls. They were mid-transport before a jaffa arrived and fired a blast their direction. The blast hit just as they were dematerialized, and soon they found themselves safe on the tel'tak. "That was close," Jack growled. "Jacob, we need to get out of here and into hyperspace ASAP. Anubis is about to discharge the weapon."

"On it," Jacob shouted and Jack fell over as the ship shot upward.

"The first gate just powered," Daniel shouted. "How long before it blows?"

"As soon as it hits the final gate," Sam replied rushing toward the window even though they were now too far away to see the action on the planet. "Which gate did he activate?"

"It was the first in the chain, Sam. He's activating all of them."

"Holy Hannah! If we hadn't jerry-rigged the self-destruct, he'd have taken out our entire solar system. Dad, hyperspace now!"

Jack felt a shockwave that felt nothing like the normal hyperspace. "Are the systems still on line?"

"I think so. I need to run a diagnostic, but we cleared the blast," Sam sighed.

"That was a little too close," Jack said with a frown.

"Way too close," Sam replied. "Lena, can you see if you can heal Jack and Teal'c's injuries while I check on the other systems?"

"Of course."

 **Atenos**

It took much longer to return to Atenos than they'd planned. Sam needed to leave hyperspace to make a few repairs, but by the time they'd arrived back on Traven's farm, Jack and Teal'c were in much better condition. Byron ran to the ship as soon as they landed.

"You can walk again, my love," Lena squealed as she ran to meet him and grab Kira out of his arms.

"Thanks to Lantash, I can do many things. I'm so glad you are safe."

Jack took Sam's hand as the exited the ship together. "Is it strange that this feels more like home than home now?" he asked.

"Not to me," Sam sighed and kissed him softly. "I'm going to miss this place."

"And, without a stargate, we won't be able to visit," Jack added. "Maybe we could stay here one more night and have a little barbeque with our friends. What do you think? The SGC has done without us this long and I'm pretty sure we just took out two more goa'uld. Seems like reason enough to party to me."

Sam laughed. "I think that's a great idea," flirtatiously, she added, "inspired really. One more night in our first home sounds perfect."

The barbeque was not all that much different from a team night back home, but it was bitter sweet for Jack. This life wasn't the one he expected. The people were simple, good hearted folks, and he was going to miss them. Traven had taken them under wing and shown them the ropes, and the people of Atenos had stood with them against Beyer to save two of their own. If the guys hadn't mounted a rescue and the goa'uld were no longer a threat to the universe then settling here with Sam forever wouldn't have been a bad option at all.

"So," Jacob said, interrupting Jack's thoughts, "we need to find a good planet with a stargate to set Byron and Lena up. Any suggestions?"

"Well, only one really comes to mind," Jack replied. "I think they'd fit in nicely on Edora."

"Edora?" Sam asked, her eyes widening and her smile fading.

"Yeah, Edora. The people there were very accommodating when I was stranded."

"A little too accommodating," Sam replied shortly.

"They aren't that different from the people here, Sam. It wouldn't really be culture shock for Byron and Lena, and there are so many improvements that our new friends could make in their lives. Plus, there'd be no worry about the goa'uld hurting Kira. It's a good option."

Sam nodded. "It isn't a bad idea. I'm not going to pretend I like the idea of going back there, but I see your point."

"Edora it is," Jacob agreed. "We'll fly the tel'tak to a nearby planet with a gate tomorrow and drop them off before taking you guys back to the SGC. Hammond is in for quite an interesting debrief."

 **Edora**

Upon exiting the stargate, the team was met by Garan. "Jack, you have returned! My mother will be so happy. Come with me. I must take you to her at once!"

Jack gave Sam an apologetic look then took her hand as they followed Garan to Laira's house. As the door opened, Jack saw something that made him feel ill. There, sitting in the living room was Laira and in her arms was a small baby. "Laira?" Jack said, his heart in his stomach. It barely registered that Sam had let go of his hand and gasped.

"Jack, you have returned as you said you would. I'm so glad you are here," Laira said as you rose from her seat and came toward him.

"You have a baby," he replied sheepishly, unable to take his eyes off the infant.

"His name is Jack. Isn't he beautiful?"

"Is he-" Jack couldn't make himself finish the question. All he knew for sure was that if this baby was his son, he had a huge problem.

 **Please don't kill the writer. I'm a totally devoted Sam/Jack shipper. I promise.**


	20. Chapter 20

Jack didn't see Sam slip back out the door. As badly as she needed to know the answer to Jack's question, she couldn't stay in Laira's home and hear that this baby was Jack's son. Suddenly, she felt sick. She desperately needed to find a quiet place and think and was headed for the caverns when she nearly barreled into Daniel.

"Sam, what's going on? I assumed you would stay with Jack, especially with Laira around."

"I just really need to get away for a few minutes," Sam sighed. "Jack's with Laira and her baby. His name is Jack, Daniel. Think about the timing."

"Oh, Sam," Daniel whispered taking her into a hug. "I'm so sorry. You know Jack loves you, not Laira. You're his wife."

"We ate a cake on a foreign planet, Daniel. We didn't even know we were married for weeks. It doesn't mean anything if he wants to be with her. And, if little Jack is his son, he will do the right thing."

"Right thing? Sam, however it happened, you are his wife. How can you think Jack leaving you for Laira is the right thing? Doing right by his son doesn't have to mean giving up you. I'm not saying it would be easy, but you guys can make it work."

"We already have a lot of strikes against us. Maybe this is for the best. We don't have to tell the brass about our relationship changes. He can be the father his son needs, and we won't be in any danger of a court marshal."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do. You can't honestly believe you and Jack can just go back to the way things were before and forget the last eight months ever happened. Do you honestly think you could go back to being just teammates? Back to being his 2IC?"

"No, but I can ask for a transfer. I'm pretty sure I could claim emotional trauma and get reassigned to the Pentagon or maybe R&D. Maybe, I'll resign my post and join Dad." Sam sighed. "Daniel, I know there's a lot to be done here. Getting Byron and Lena settled, dealing with Ja-, Colonel O'Neill's situation, well, it's going to take a little time. I'm going to go back to the SGC and start debriefing General Hammond. He needs to know what happened with the weapon."

"Sam, this is a really bad idea. Wait. Talk to Jack," Daniel pleaded.

"I won't do anything drastic until you guys get back and I've spoken to the colonel. I just can't be here right now. Besides, there's a traitor at the SGC, Daniel. The general needs to know." Sam hugged her friend one last time. "He's already lost one son. I won't be the reason he loses another. Trust me, Daniel. I'm doing the right thing."

Meanwhile, Jack couldn't finish his question. As much as he needed to know whether the baby was his son or not, he couldn't bear to ask. Laira laughed at him when he stopped mid sentence. "Is he what, Jack? My son? Yes, I am his mother."

Jack took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Laira. I don't know what to say."

"What's there to say? You had the chance to go home and you went. I was happy for you, but it's good to see you have returned. I'm guessing you came on business."

"Um, yeah, business that can wait. The baby, Laira, is probably what we should be talking about right now," Jack began.

"He's a lovely child, isn't he? You know how badly I wanted one. I'm very grateful for him," Laira said as she looked down at her son. "Maybe I seem foolish to the others for raising him alone, but I have seemed foolish for less things."

"Raising him alone because I left," Jack said more to himself than to her. "I'm sorry."

"Again with the apologies, Jack? Really, it has nothing to do with you," Laira laughed.

"He can't be more than three months old, Laira. I know you well enough to know I'm the father," Jack said incredulously. "I'll do whatever I can to support our son."

"Support our son," Laira repeated with a smile. "I see, you feel guilty."

"Of course, I feel guilty! I shouldn't have left you here not knowing whether we were successful in making a baby or not then I went and got myself stranded again and," Jack stopped, unable to even speak his next words aloud. He'd married Sam, the love of his life. Now, he was faced with the reality that he'd done it while another woman was carrying his child. What a mess! Suddenly, he looked behind him and realized Sam was gone. "Laira, we need to talk, but first I have to find Sam. She was right behind me."

"Major Carter?" Laira asked. "I have a feeling things have changed between you since we last spoke."

"She was stranded with me this time around."

"I see," Laira replied, "and you found comfort in each other?"

"We did. She's my wife. Explaining this to her won't be easy. I'm sorry, Laira. I'll do right by the baby, but I love my wife."

Laira laughed heartily. "Jack, little Jack is my son, not yours. He was born to Terran and Fiona, but Terran was killed in an accident before the baby was born. We lost Fiona shortly after the birth. She and Terran had chosen to name their child after you. I respected their wishes and offered to raise him as my own. You have nothing to apologize for, Jack. I chose not to go with you."

Jack sighed a sigh of true relief. "I just assumed-"

"I know, Jack, and it was fun to play with you for a moment but I suggest you find your wife now. She's probably not very happy. I believe I'm the one who owes you the apology. I could see there was something between you before but I chose to ignore it. Go, find your wife, Jack."

"I am glad you have your baby, Laira," Jack replied as he turned to leave. He needed to find Sam and let her know the baby wasn't his before she started to doubt him.

 **SGC**

As soon as Sam arrived at the SGC, Sam informed Hammond that not only were the super weapon and Apophis no longer a threat, but he had a traitor in his midst. "Colonel O'Neill will be here as soon as he gets our new friends settled," Sam said after briefing him on the last few days.

"Very well," Hammond replied. "Very good to have you home safely, Major. We'll do a full debrief when the rest of your team arrives. Apparently, I have a traitor to arrest. Report to the infirmary. I'm sure Dr. Frasier is anxious to look you over."

"Thank you, sir."

Janet grabbed her as soon as she stepped into the infirmary. "Sam, you're finally home! We've been so worried."

"It's good to see you, Janet. I can't wait to see Cassie," Sam replied, returning the hug.

"We'll make that happen as soon as we can, Sam. Guess we better check you over. You look good. I'm guessing you've had adequate food and shelter. Honestly, you look even better than you did when you left. I've really wished I'd gone with my instincts and made you stay behind. Let's start some blood work and make sure you're no longer anemic, and we need to get an MRI." Sam nodded and gave Janet her arm. "Date of last menstrual cycle?"

Sam froze. "I'm a little late," she said, suddenly realizing just how late she actually was.

"Well, it's not uncommon when you're under physical stress. I'm guessing you're not sexual active since you've been off-world for months, so no reason we can't go ahead with the MRI." Sam looked down pensively. Janet noticed. "Sam, you aren't sexual active are you?"

Sam sighed. "A pregnancy test might be a good idea," she replied softly.

"Do I even want to ask who the father might be?" Janet questioned, but Sam remained silent. "Okay, we'll play it your way. Give me a few minutes to get the results then we'll see about that MRI."

Sam nodded numbly. Surely, after all these months, this wasn't the month they'd be successful in making a baby. Jack, no Colonel O'Neill, she corrected herself, didn't need any more obstacles between him and his son. She just needed to get through the next few days and get as far away from the SGC as possible.


	21. Chapter 21

Jack found Daniel talking to a few farmers about all the advancements Byron and Lena could make to their village. "Daniel, have you seen Sam?"

"Uh, yes, I spoke to her," Daniel replied then he excused himself from the farmers and pulled Jack off to the side. "She told me about Laira and the baby. How are you doing, Jack? It had to be quite a shock."

"It was for a minute, but everything is fine now or it will be once I talk to Sam."

"Fine now? I think it's probably anything but fine. How are you guys going to do this, Jack? A baby is a big deal."

"Daniel, I need to find Sam. Where is she?"

"She left, Jack. I think she needed some time to process all of this. I'm a little worried she'll do something foolish."

"Crap! The baby isn't mine. I've got to get to Sam."

"She's probably back at the SGC by now, and you're right you need to talk to her quickly. But, Jack, I'm having trouble convincing these people they can trust Byron and Lena. You're probably the only one who can convince them, and I don't think you want to broadcast this particular conversation to the entire gate room. Sam would kill you."

"Let's get this done as fast as we can. I've got to talk to Sam before her genius brain over thinks this mess and does something royally stupid." Jack sighed. This was an even bigger mess than he expected. He needed to convince these people quickly and that would definitely require help from Laira and Garan.

 **Earth**

It had taken Jack over twelve hours to get things settled on Edora. He was exhausted and terrified by the time they entered the gate room, but Hammond was still around, waiting to welcome him home.

"Good to see you back, colonel. We were pretty worried," Hammond said as he returned Jack's salute. "Daniel, Teal'c, nice work. Go on to the infirmary and get checked out. I need a word with the colonel before he joins you."

"Certainly, sir. Jacob sends his regards. He needed to get back to the tok'ra and inform them that the mission was a success."

"Very well. Follow me colonel." Jack followed the general to his office. Once the door was closed, Hammond continued, "Jack, Major Carter gave me the basic rundown of the last few days then she brought me a typed mission report and this." Hammond handed Jack a letter but continued talking as Jack read. "Major Carter's mission reports are usually very concise. I've read it several times and, for the life of me, I'm not seeing anything in her report that would cause one of my best officers to resign her commission. Perhaps you can shed some light on it for me."

"Yes, sir," Jack sighed. "I have a pretty good idea why she resigned. Can I see her mission report, general."

The general handed him the report. It was short and factual. She wrote about the jaffa, the missing gate, Traven, and how they had helped the people of Atenos build an irrigation system and overthrow their corrupt leader. She went on to detail the events with Apophis and the weapon. She left out some pretty pertinent details in Jack's opinion, however, because there was absolutely no mention of their marriage. "Sir, I believe there are a few things I would add to Major Carter's report."

"I had a feeling there might be more to it. Was the major hurt in some way, colonel?"

"No sir. Most of the locals were friendly. Um, general, can we have a conversation off the record?"

General Hammond sighed. "Have a seat, Jack. We can keep whatever it is off the record for the moment. Right now, I just need to understand what's happening."

Jack sat down and awkwardly looked at the general. "Sir, the man we overthrew, Lord Beyer, had a bit of an eye for the ladies. Traven suggested Major Carter might be his type. Sam and I had to pretend to be married to keep her safe."

"Pretend?" Hammond asked.

"Yes, sir. We managed to fool Beyer, but we were informed that if Sam were not pregnant within a year of our marriage, he could legally take her as part of his very large concubine. Our friend Lena, the woman who became a tok'ra, became concerned when Sam didn't get pregnant. Of course, at that time we were only pretending, but Lena didn't know that part."

"At that time? In other words, your relationship with your 2IC changed while you were away."

"Um, yes, sir. Lena decided to help us along a bit. She made us a cake. We thought nothing of it at the time, sir. Lena and Byron were trusted friends, but the cake was a wedding cake with effects very similar to the one I had with Kynthia, sir. Well, there wasn't any rapid aging, but, you get the drift."

General Hammond put his head in his hands for a moment then looked at Jack. "So, you engaged in intimate relations as a result of alien influence? Is that what you're telling me, Jack?"

"Yes, sir."

"And, I'm guessing Major Carter thought resigning would protect you from a court marital."

"I'm afraid there's more to it than that, sir. According to Abydos' law, we are legally married. We had planned to discuss the matter with you if and when we were rescued, and I planned to retire if one of us needed to be punished."

"But, Sam beat you to the punch," Hammond finished for him.

"More likely, she's trying to avoid me, sir. Laira had a baby with her when we arrived on Edora. Sam thought he was mine. He isn't but she was gone before I could tell her. I need to get to my wife, general. Whatever the punishment is, I'll take it. But, please don't accept her resignation until I can get to the bottom of this."

"It sounds like you've got a fine mess here, Jack. Go to the infirmary, get checked out then find Major Carter. There were certainly extenuating circumstances that should give us a good chance at avoiding a formal court marital. Let me see what I can work out. In the mean time, I'm giving you the next 7 days personal time. Work this out with Sam, Jack. I'll handle the brass."

"Thank you, sir. We really didn't mean for this to happen."

"I know, Jack. I knew we had a problem when Sam nearly worked herself into an early grave trying to get you home. I also know you would never have acted on your feelings if you hadn't been in this situation. I'll talk to the president personally. Now, get to the infirmary."

Jack was relieved that the general was going to bat for them, but he sure wished Janet was on duty. He could make her understand his need for speed. The infirmary was taking forever, and he desperately needed to talk to Sam. As soon as he was released, he borrowed Daniel's car and headed for Sam's house.

The lights were out, but Jack wasn't surprised. It was nearly two in the morning. Of course, it didn't stop him from pounding on her door. When she didn't answer, he grabbed the spare key she kept under the flower pot and let himself in the house. He made his way to the bedroom. The door was open, so he walked in. "Sam?" he said softly without turning on the light. When she didn't respond, he walked over to the bed. It was still made. Quickly, turning on the light, he realized she wasn't there. After searching the house, he panicked. His first thought was to call Janet, but he didn't think it would be wise to disturb her at this hour. She'd probably been worried sick about her best friend for eight months. Surely, he could let her get one good night's sleep before telling her Sam was missing.

With a heavy heart, Jack drove home. He didn't feel much like sleeping, but he figured it would be nice to change into some comfortable clothes so he headed straight for his bedroom. He flipped on the light and saw the most wonderful sight he could imagine. There, lying in his bed was Sam. The light disturbed her sleep, because as soon as he flipped it on, his still sleeping wife covered her head with the blanket.

Jack immediately joined Sam on his bed. "Sam, honey, wake up."

Sam yawned as she opened her eyes. "Jack, you're home. I wasn't sure when you'd be back."

"I see that. How did you get here?"

"I had Janet take me to get some clothes. She dropped me off. We never discussed where we were going to live," she said sheepishly. "We need to talk."

"Oh, I'd say," Jack said, smiling at his wife.

"Me first, okay. I've been practicing this for hours and I just need to get it out. I resigned. I know you planned on retiring, but you need access to the gate so you can keep tabs on your son. I don't want to keep you from him. Honestly, I was going to end things between us-"

"Sam," Jack interrupted.

"Please, just let me finish. This is hard, Jack. I was going to end things so you could be with Laira and baby Jack, but something happened today that changed everything. I realized leaving wasn't the answer. If I leave you so you can be with your son then I'd be cheating you out of another child. I'm pregnant, Jack. I know this is complicated and I don't know how to do it, but we will find a way to make things work so you can be a father to both of your children. If you want to be with Laira then I understand. I won't keep our child from you. You can-"

Jack interrupted her with a kiss. "I think it needs to be my turn now. We're having a baby." Sam nodded. "You're sure?"

Sam nodded again. "I know this complicates things. I'm sorry. I can't imagine how you're feeling right now."

"I'm feeling excited. I'm in my bed, my really comfortable bed that I've missed desperately, with my beautiful wife, who I've only fantasized about having in this bed since the day I met, and we are having a baby. Sam, I'm ecstatic."

"But, Laira and the baby?" Sam protested.

"He's not my son, Sam. If you'd stuck around instead of running, you'd have known that hours ago."

"You're positive he's not yours?" Sam asked, doubt clouding her face.

Jack kissed her again. "I'm completely sure he is not my son. Laira is raising him, but she didn't give birth to him. He belonged to some friends who passed away, Sam. Even if he'd been mine, I would still want to be married to you. We'd have just had to do a little juggling to make things work. You're my wife. I'm not giving us up."

"Jack, I'm so sorry. I should have stayed."

"I say we blame the pregnancy hormones and move on," Jack said softly. "Hammond knows. He's not accepting your resignation. He's going to bat for us. We are on leave for the next 7 days then he'll let us know what the brass say."

"Janet knows, too."

"Good. As soon as things are settled with the brass, she can help you plan a real wedding. The marriage cake was really great, but I'd like to share our day with our friends. What do you say?"

"Yes, Jack. I say yes."

 **I almost cut this one into 2 chapters, but I was afraid a third cliff hanger in a row might be too much. This one is nearly finished folks. I have an idea for an alternate 2010 fic, but I also have some major projects going on around here. I won't post that one unless I have the first several chapters written first.**


	22. Chapter 22

Sam woke up cuddled next to Jack the following morning. She was completely at peace. They were home, they were together, and the world was still standing. Slowly, she moved Jack's arm so she could get out of bed. She knew they'd need groceries, so she quickly ran through the shower and searched the freezer and the cabinets hoping to find something that would suffice for breakfast. Coming up empty, she snuck back to the bed.

"Jack, your pregnant wife needs food. Wake up."

Jack opened his eyes slowly and grinned. "My pregnant wife? Oh, I could so get used to that."

Sam giggled. "I asked Janet not to report my pregnancy until we talked, but we probably need to tell the general."

"Yeah, you're right. Why don't we get some breakfast then run up to the mountain and talk to Hammond. We'll invite the gang over for a barbecue while we're at it. It's time to celebrate."

The general was in his office when they arrived. "I'm glad you cane in today. I wasn't going to call until I got back from Washington, but I want you to know I'm speaking to the president personally about your situation. You'll be happy to know we've already arrested Captain Spencer. He'll be tried for treason."

"Thank you, sir," Jack said with a nod. "Actually, we have one more thing we're going to need to add to our report. We're going to have a baby, general."

Hammond smiled. "That is certainly pertinent information. Congratulations. Major Carter, I'm sure the colonel informed you that I'm not willing to accept your resignation at this time. We will move you to the labs for the time being."

"Yes, sir, but honestly, in light of our changing circumstances, I'm not sure I can return to a front line team."

"Of course, you can, Sam," Jack interrupted.

"Jack, think about it. Do you really think it would be fair to just drop our baby off at daycare then gate to another planet." She turned her attention to the general. "Sir, I still think it might be best of I resign. I'd like to continue as a contractor if that's okay."

"Sam-" Jack began

"Colonel, I understand Sam's concern. She's just found out she's going to be a mother. That's life changing. Major, you've just been through quite an ordeal. I cannot in good conscious allow you to make such a major decision at this time. You will remain in the labs until after the birth of your child then we'll discuss this again. I've got to be honest with you though, Sam. The brass weren't very happy about having our foremost gate expert MIA. There's a chance you would have been moved off the front lines regardless. For now, let's just deal with one thing at a time. I'm going to plead alien influence and let the president know that as a result you are expecting a child."

"Sir, I should probably tell you-" Jack began.

"Easy, colonel. Don't say anymore. Alien influence resulted in this pregnancy, understood?"

Sam smiled as Jack responded, "understood, sir."

"Very well. I have a plan to catch. I'll see you in a week. Good to have you home."

Sam couldn't keep the grin off of her face as they left the generals office. The general's plan was brilliant. They might just make it out of this without a court martial. While Jack went to find Daniel and Teal'c , Sam made her way to the infirmary.

"Hey, Janet. Do you have a minute?"

"Of course. Everything okay with the little one? Feeling sick?" Janet asked, going straight into doctor mode.

"No, I just wanted to let you know we've informed General Hammond of our situation. He's going to talk to the president."

"And, how did Jack take the news? What are you going to do about Laira?"

"Jack's thrilled and Laira isn't going to be an issue. Little Jack isn't his son."

Janet hugged Sam. "Well, that's a relief! You certainly look much more relaxed today. Cassie is desperate to see you guys."

"That's why I'm here. Barbeque at Jack's, um, our house tonight. Can you guys make it?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. It's so good to have you home, Sam."

The barbeque was a big success, and everyone was excited about the baby. The rest of the week was spent combining their households and preparing Sam's house for the market. With a little apprehension, Sam and Jack turned up in the generals office first thing Monday morning.

"At ease, colonel, major. The president agrees with me. You can't be held responsible for anything that occurred under alien influence. There will be no court martial. Obviously, we have to make some changes to your team. Effective immediately, Major Carter will be the new director of the science division. For the remainder of her pregnancy, she will be confined to the labs here on base. After maternity leave, Sam, I will need you to choose a team that your comfortable with travelling off-world to the hopefully advanced worlds after the SG teams make first contact. You may choose to be a part of that team, but it is at your discretion as director. You will report directly to me. Colonel O'Neill, you'll need to choose a permanent replacement for Major Carter on SG1. I'd recommend asking for her assistance in choosing your new 2IC," Hammond paused, "Sam, this isn't really a lateral move. Leading the science team keeps you on the path to general. If you ever decide to get back on a front line team, the option is there. Don't feel this is in any way a punishment."

"Thank you, sir. It actually sounds perfect," Sam said with a smile. "I never seem to have enough time in the lab, and traveling with a science team would be reasonably safe, so I wouldn't feel too guilty for leaving the baby.. I can't thank you enough for helping us."

"Me either, general. Thank you," Jack agreed.

"Well, get back to work you two. I've put SG1 back on the mission schedule. After the last mission, I hope this one really is a walk in the park."

"O h, I don't know, general. I have no issues with the last one. It was a mission to remember," Jack said, locking eyes with Sam. Sam couldn't help but agree. This was one mission she'd never forget.

 **This is the end folks. Thanks for reading. I'm blown away by all the reviews. Thank you all!**


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